Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Unhealthy dietary habits, such as the consumption of fast food and carbonated beverages, are associated with various health risks. Given their significant role in society, teachers are a group of particular interest in the context of health-related concerns. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of fast food and carbonated beverage consumption among teachers and to explore the influencing factors of these habits.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among a randomized sample of public-school teachers at all educational levels, including primary, middle, and high schools, within Sfax Governorate in Southern Tunisia during the period March-April 2021.

Results: Among the 525 teachers, 80.8% (n=424) were of urban origin. The sex ratio was 1.23. The median age of teachers was 48 years, ranging from 20 to 68 years. We noted that 101 teachers (19.2%) were obese. Regarding weight perception, suboptimal adherence to healthy weight perception was observed among 70.9% of teachers (n=372). In terms of dietary habits, 20.2% (n=106) reported consuming fast food or carbonated beverages more than twice a week, while 52.2% (n=274) consumed fruits or vegetables daily. A significantly higher prevalence of fast food or carbonated beverage consumption was observed among teachers with post-university educational level compared to those with university educational level (34% vs 19.5%; P=0.02). Multivariate analysis showed that age (Adjusted odds ratio ORA) = 0.96; 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.93, 0.98]; P=0.01) and female gender (AOR = 0.44; 95%CI [0.27, 0.7]; P=0.01) were independently associated with a lower prevalence of fast food or carbonated beverage consumption. Additionally, fast food or carbonated beverage consumption was independently associated with higher alcohol consumption (AOR = 2.16; 95%CI [1.06, 4.4]; P=0.03) and pasta consumption (AOR = 1.73; 95%CI [1.1, 2.7]; P=0.01).

Conclusion: This study highlighted the prevalence of fast food and carbonated beverage consumption among teachers and identified significant associated factors. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to promote healthier dietary habits, especially among teachers at specific risk.

Keywords: Unhealthy Dietary Habits/Fast Food Consumption/Sugary Beverage Consumption/Teachers’ Health/Southern Tunisia Study