Survey on Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases in Universidad Nacional de La Matanza, Argentina. Year 2019

Introduction:Chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for leading causes of death in Argentina and early identification of their risk factors (RF) is key to prevention. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of RF for NCDs among students from Universidad Nacional de la Matanza. Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed, using a self-reported survey adapted from the “National survey of risk factors”, to describe risk factors and their association with sociodemographic characteristics. Results:A total of 130 students participated; 6.9% identified their health as "fair” and 48.5% referred some degree of anxiety or depression, 26.2% reported a low level of physical activity and almost all respondents ate less than 5 fruits or vegetables per day, 6.2% were smokers and 38.5% were exposed to tobacco smoke. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 23.2% and 6.4% respectively. Occasional high cholesterol and blood pressure were reported by 20.4% and 16.8% of respondents, respectively. Conclusion:The university is an ideal setting for activities aimed at the promotion and prevention of these RF.