Introduction:

University students who enter the Nursing course can undergo changes in lifestyle and adoption of new and unhealthy habits, which favor the emergence of risk factors and cardiovascular diseases.

Objective:

To describe the nutritional and clinical profile and the pattern of physical activity in Nursing graduates.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study with 119 students starting the Nursing course of a public university, submitted to interview and clinical evaluation. The data was analyzed by means of descriptive statistics.

Results:

Consumption lower than recommended was shown for fish (78.15%), vegetables/legumes (68.07%), chicken (67.22%), beans (52.10%), fruits/juices (30.25%); and higher for sweets (25.21%), snacks (23.53%), and bread (16.97%). The increase in salt amount added to the food was identified for 28.6% and the preparation of food in all forms accounted for 42.9%. There was high and very high risk for waist/hip ratio (41.03%), low HDL (33.68%), overweight (29.06%), high LDL-c (5.26%), high blood pressure (0.86%). Low level of physical activity and high time spent sitting (96.64%) predominated.

Conclusion:

The university students studied were exposed to cardiovascular risk factors and changes in lifestyle must be promoted in their academic formation.

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