Changes in dietary and lifestyle behaviors and mental stress among medical students upon Ramadan diurnal intermittent fasting: a prospective cohort study from Taif/Saudi Arabia

BMC Public Health

Research

Abdulaziz N. Aljardahi¹  Abdulrahman I. Alotaibi¹  Khalid M. Alzahrani¹  Mohammed I. Alotaibi¹  Ahmed S. Abdel-Moneim¹  Ahmed N. Alghamdi¹  Hibah M. Alorabi²  Ghadir Elsamad³ 

[1]College of Medicine, Taif University, Al-Taif 21944, Taif, Saudi Arabia

[2]King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Al-Taif 21944, Taif, Saudi Arabia

[3]Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, BS1 3NY, Bristol, UK

关键词: Ramadan;    Intermittent fasting;    Lifestyle;    Stress;    Academic performance;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-023-16385-1

 received in 2023-04-06, accepted in 2023-07-25,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundIntermittent fasting (IF) is a popular dietary plan for weight loss. In fact, fasting is a common practice in different religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. During the month of Ramadan, more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide fast from dawn to sunset. Ramadan diurnal intermittent fasting (RDIF) has health benefits, including a reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and an improvement in mood. However, little is known about the effects of RDIF on lifestyle behaviors, such as regular exercise, consuming healthy diet, and avoiding harmful substances, as well as mental stress, and academic performance in high school and university students.MethodsIn this prospective cohort study, two self-reported questionnaires were sent one week before and during the last week of Ramadan (April 2022; Ramadan 1443 in Hijri Islamic Calendar) to assess changes in lifestyle, perceived stress, and academic achievement of medical students at Taif University in Taif city, Saudi Arabia. Healthy lifestyle components data were collected to calculate healthy lifestyle scores, including body mass index, physical activity, adherence to a Mediterranean diet, smoking status, and sleep duration.ResultsRDIF was associated with a healthier lifestyle in both female and male participants (pre-RDIF mean score: 2.42 vs post-RDIF mean score: 2.74; statistical power = 0.99; P-value < 0.05). They were more active and adherent to the Mediterranean diet during RDIF. Additionally, the post-RDIF smoking rate declined by 53.4%. Male participants showed higher perceived stress scores during RDIF (pre-RDIF mean score: 19.52 vs post-RDIF mean score: 22.05; P-value < 0.01). No changes in academic performance were observed upon RDIF.ConclusionMedical students show healthier dietary and lifestyle behaviors and their academic performance is not affected during RDIF. However, perceived stress is higher among male students.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

【 图 表 】

Fig. 1