DETERMINANTES DE LOS ESTILOS DE VIDA Y SU IMPLICACIÓN EN LA SALUD DE JÓVENES UNIVERSITARIOS

Objective: To describe four of the most important habits of lifestyles (physical activity, eating habits, tobacco and alcohol use) in the university population, identifying factors that influence them, consequences in health and strategies for change. Methodology: Review of scientific literature which includes articles indexed in PubMed, HINARI, EBSCO, Scielo and official Web pages databases using key words such as physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco consumption, harmful use of alcohol, lifestyle, sedentary life, chronic non transmissible diseases and college students. Results: The good interaction of the 4 lifestyle determinants is essential to adopt healthy habits among the university population, in which the greatest behavioral change for harmful health conducts leading to chronic non transmissible diseases appear, becoming the most important challenge public health has to face in the twenty-first century. Conclusions: College students are exposed to a number of factors that predispose them to adopt damaging to health behaviors and increase the risk to suffer non transmissible diseases. Therefore it is necessary to become aware of it and to implement strategies to promote change towards healthy lifestyles, to mitigate effects and impact on quality of life of each individual.