College students in the United States are physically healthier than their counterparts in the United Kingdom, according to a study published Tuesday by the Schools and Students Health Education Unit.

The study compared self-reported data from students at a university in Southern England and a small liberal arts college in the United States using factors such as smoking, drinking, eating habits and physical activity. Students who participated in the survey were members of health-related academic programs at their individual schools.

“We were interested in understanding the health habits of students in a caring profession, those professions where individuals care for students, patients and clients,” said study co-author Dr. Anastasia Snelling. “Within these professions, many times these individuals are seen as role models, and we wanted to explore if students were practicing habits consistent for being a role model.”

Roughly 36.8 percent of English students identified as smokers versus 15.5 percent of American students. When it comes to drinking, 79.3 percent of American students reported drinking alcohol in the last month compared to 67.8 percent by English students, possibly due to binge drinking, the study stated.

“American students appear to be more health conscious when it comes to non-smoking rates, fruit and vegetable consumption and weight status,” Snelling said. “This may be a result of a society where there is more social marketing around health issues and polices, such as smoke-free campuses.”

Julia Hall, vice president of the Undergraduate Public Health Association at Boston University said she was not surprised by these results.

“In Europe, in general, smoking is much more prevalent and accepted, while the public health system in the U.S. has continued to have powerful initiatives to prevent smoking of all ages, and therefore, it has become much less common, especially in university students,” said Hall, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

A dual citizen in the UK and the United States, Hall said she has had experience with these issues in both countries.

“U.S. culture also constantly promotes exercise and gym use, while through my experiences from the UK, especially with females, this seems less common, which is also supported in this paper’s results,” she said.

Snelling said she hopes the results of her study will have an impact on the choices universities make to promote a healthy lifestyle.

“This data could be used by college health administrators to understand how to promote healthier college environments, which are consistent with their mission to provide a strong academic environment,” she said. “Healthier students are better learners, thereby if we promote health, students may be better prepared academically to achieve their career goals.”

Several students attending college in the UK shared mixed feelings about the study.

Catherine O’Brien, a student at the University of Leeds, recognized elements of the study that have the biggest impact on young people in the UK, according to her experiences.

“I’m not surprised because in the UK, we drink at a much younger age,” she said in an email. “A higher proportion of students smoke cigarettes, and generally spend a higher proportion of their time partying and drinking than Americans.”

Quentin Spottiswoode, a third year student at the University of Sheffield, said the laws and culture of a country can affect the health of students in different countries.

“The laws of particular countries can make it easier to become unhealthy. For example, the legal drinking age in the UK is lower than that in the U.S.,” he said in an email. “Whilst the country of residence impacts the lifestyle choices of an individual, local culture has a greater role to play in influencing one’s behavior than local law.”

Several BU students said they did not expect to be seen as healthier than their English counterparts.

Isabella Pelz, a freshman in the College of Fine Arts, said despite some of the unhealthy habits associated with drinking and smoking within the United States, colleges still stress the importance of health and fitness.

“It’s surprising at first, but it kind of makes sense because there are so many initiatives and programs in colleges about eating healthy,” she said.

“It is surprising because people would commonly think that Americans would be less healthy because of the obesity levels,” said Sera Evcimen, a freshman in the College of Engineering. “But it is good to hear.”