Dyslipidemia and body mass index among students of Clinical Laboratory science

Abstract

Dyslipidemias are metabolic disorders characterized by abnormal levels of lipids and lipoproteins in the blood. The body mass index is a widely used indicator to assess nutritional status. The main objective of this study was to analyze dyslipidemias and body mass index among university students. The proposed hypothesis was that there is a relationship between body mass index and the presence of dyslipidemia in students enrolled in the Clinical Laboratory program at the Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí. A prospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive observational study was conducted. The target population included 118 students, and a representative sample of 96 was selected using finite population sampling. Statistical analyses included frequency distribution, Chi-square test, and Spearman correlation. The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia was 61.5%, with a higher proportion in women (66.1%) compared to men (52.9%). The most frequent lipid abnormalities were hypertriglyceridemia (51%), hypercholesterolemia (26%), hypoalphalipoproteinemia (14.6%), and elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (2.1%). The mean body mass index was 24.55 kg/m2 in men and 24.45 kg/m2 in women. Regarding nutritional status, 53.1% had normal weight, 31.3% were overweight, 11.5% were obese, and 4.2% were underweight. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was higher among overweight and obese students. In conclusion, a high prevalence of dyslipidemia was observed, with a higher rate among women. The most frequent disorders were hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia. A significant relationship was found between body mass index and dyslipidemia. A higher body mass index led to decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.