{
  "abstract": "Background: Overweight and obesity are important public-health concerns among young adults. University students experience changes in dietary, physical-activity, sleep, and other health behaviors, but evidence from Saudi university populations remains heterogeneous.\n\nObjective: To explore associations between BMI and selected dietary, physical-activity, sleep, and sociodemographic characteristics among university students.\n\nMethods: This cross-sectional study analyzed electronic questionnaire responses collected from January to April 2025 on a sample of 196 students. Weight and height were self-reported and BMI was recalculated as weight (kg)/height ² (m ² ). BMI was categorized as underweight (<18.5), normal (18.5 to <24.9), overweight (25 to <30), or obesity (≥30 kg/m ² ). Associations were examined using contingency-table analyses and limited exploratory multivariable linear and logistic regression models.\n\nResults: Among 196 analyzed students, 17 (8.7%) were underweight, 106 (54.1%) had normal BMI, 38 (19.4%) were overweight, and 35 (17.9%) had obesity; thus, 73 (37.2%) had overweight or obesity. Associations of BMI category with lifestyle were not statistically significant. Electronic-device use before bed showed a sparse-cell association ( χ ² =23.438, df = 9, Monte Carlo p = 0.010) that should be considered exploratory. In adjusted linear regression, male sex ( β = 5.26 kg/m ² , 95% CI 2.36–8.16, p < 0.001), and students aged >23 years had higher BMI ( β = 2.86, 95% CI 0.44–5.29, p = 0.021). In adjusted logistic regression, male sex (OR = 2.71, 95% CI 1.19–6.19, p = 0.018) and age >23 years (OR = 3.15, 95% CI 1.17–8.43, p = 0.023) were associated with overweight/obesity.\n\nConclusion: Overweight and obesity were common. Gender and age showed associations with BMI status, whereas evidence for independent associations of the selected lifestyle measures was limited and imprecise. The cross-sectional design and self-reported measurements preclude causal inference",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Community Health Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Nora Alafif"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shabana Tharkar"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Rinas Alharbi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hadeel Althobaiti"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Rawa Alamry"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Reema Al-harbi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Waad Alfawaz"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/16sjkyb11zm1y.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1900451",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13713735",
  "id": "16sjkyb11zm1y",
  "issns": [
    "2296-2565"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1900451/full",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3600|Health and Lifestyle Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221808190",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1900451/pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13713735",
  "pmid": "42953052",
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/16sjkyb11zm1y.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:22Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fpubh.2026.1900451",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1900451/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:41Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42953052",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42953052"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:24:14Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13713735",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1900451"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "issn:2296-2565",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Body mass index and health-related lifestyle behaviors among university students in Saudi Arabia: a single center cross-sectional study",
  "title_text": "Body mass index and health-related lifestyle behaviors among university students in Saudi Arabia: a single center cross-sectional study",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:21:21Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/16sjkyb11zm1y",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Public Health",
  "versions": []
}