Behavioral Risk Factors of Noncommunicable Diseases Among Medical and Nonmedical Undergraduate Students of Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Background and aims: Behavioral risk factors of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are established during early age and continued into adulthood. In Bangladesh, the scenario of NCD risk factors among students was inadequately studied. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the prevalence of behavioral risk factors of NCDs between undergraduate medical and nonmedical students. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 280 undergraduate students (equal number of students from medical and nonmedical backgrounds). Respondents were selected purposively from 5 purposively-selected institutions. Modified WHO STEPS instrument was used for data collection. Respondents were asked about their behavioral risk factors (tobacco use, insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, inadequate physical activity, and alcohol consumption) by face-to-face interviews. Results: Men students were…