Lifestyle Behaviors and Their Socio-Demographic Correlates Among University-Going Adolescents in Rawalpindi, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE

Adolescence is a critical period where lifestyle habits, including diet, physical exercise, sleep, and substance abuse, may have a significant influence on future health. The objective of this study was to determine adolescents' lifestyle behaviors and how they relate to socio-demographic characteristics.

METHODS

The study included university-going older adolescents in Rawalpindi, Pakistan and employed a cross-sectional study design. Participants completed a validated questionnaire assessing lifestyle behaviors and their socio-demographic correlates, along with anthropometric measurements for BMI categorization. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used for analysis.

RESULTS

The present study included 215 university-going older adolescents (mean age: 18.69 SD = 0.46 years); the majority (75.8%) were female participants, and 70.2% were urban inhabitants. The majority had a healthy BMI (68.8%) and ate three meals each day (90.7%), but less than 12% were physically active. Over a quarter reported not getting enough sleep. 28.4% of participants reported depressed symptoms; just 10.2% addressed their problems with a specialist. 9.8% used drugs (smoking), 20.9% vaped, and 25.6% began using before the age of 12. There were significant (p < 0.05) associations between lifestyle behaviors and socio-demographic characteristics such as age, BMI, and family type. Regression analysis showed BMI, residence, and parental education as key predictors of adolescent lifestyle.

CONCLUSION

The findings revealed significant gaps in healthy lifestyle behaviors university-going older adolescents in Rawalpindi.