Relationship between health factors and the nutritional status of college freshman living in residence halls

The negative implications of obesity in a population are great. Many Americans begin to gain unhealthy weight in college due to a number of factors. Students who become overweight or obese in their years at college are at a greater risk of chronic disease later in life. Current research shows that college students are overestimating the healthiness of their diets. There is need for more nutrition education in the community, including college campuses as health professionals combat the negative implications of obesity and related chronic diseases. This study evaluated factors which impacted college students' nutritional status at a Midwestern university.;A diverse group of 50 males and 57 females participated in this cross-sectional study. The mean age for the participants was 19.05 ± 0.71years. The majority of the study subjects were African American (n=64, 59.3%). Participants were asked to complete a comprehensive survey on their dietary intakes, physical activity, nutrition knowledge, eating attitudes, and body dissatisfaction. Descriptive and correlational statistical analyses were performed on these factors.;Subjects consumed 1937 ± 764.9calories, 72 ± 34.3g protein, 82 ± 37.0g fat, and 233 ± 89.1g carbohydrate daily which amounted to 48% of the daily calorie being supplied by carbohydrates, 14% protein, and 37% fat. These results show that fat consumption in this target population exceeded recommendations. Mean physical activity was 369 ± 360.7 minutes for the week which was above the WHO recommendation of 150 minutes weekly for this age group. The majority of subjects (n=92, 88%) walked for exercise, followed by (n=44, 42%) who ran, (n=19, 18%) who played basketball. The least reported activity was baseball (n=1, 1%). The mean nutrition knowledge score was 42.5 ± 10.1 out of a possible 97 points. Eating attitudes were measured by the EAT-26. A score of ≥20 suggests concern for further assessment. Relatively few subjects needed further assessment by this standard. The mean eating attitude score was 10.1 ± 9.9. Despite high participation in physical activity, the mean BMI of this population was 25.8 ± 6.0 kg/m 2, however, only 24 (22.2%) subjects had BMI between 25 and 30. The majority of subjects (n=58, 53.7%) fell between the BMI of 18.5 and 24.9, which indicates normal weight. Although the actual mean BMI was 25.8, the subjects perceived and desired BMI's were 23.8 and 22.6 respectively, which indicates that subjects do not perceive themselves in the overweight BMI range. Body dissatisfaction, as measured by the silhouettes, indicated a mean desired BMI change of -1.1 ± 3.4 from their perceived BMI.;The most significant correlations were found between body mass index, nutrition knowledge, and carbohydrate intake. Spearman's correlations indicated a significant correlation (r =-0.201, p<0.05) between carbohydrate intake and BMI. Similarly, significance was found between the number of minutes spent weekly on physical activity, and Nutrition Knowledge score (r = 0.196, p < 0.05). When Pearson's correlations were analyzed for continuous variables, significance was found for eating attitudes and BMI (r = 0.325, p<0.001).;The only macronutrient that was over consumed in these subjects' diet was fat. There was a negative correlation between BMI and carbohydrate intake. The mean physical activity performed doubled the WHO's physical activity recommendations for adults. Almost half of the overweight subjects exceeded the WHO's physical activity recommendation. Most study subjects walked for their physical activity. The average NKQ score was within the range shown by other researchers. There was a positive correlation between subjects' eating attitudes score and BMI. Although, the majority of subjects had a mean BMI indicating overweight, they perceived their BMI as normal. Despite the presence of overweight, subjects desired a lower BMI.;Dietitians and other health professionals should be aware that there are more factors apart from physical activity that affect BMI. Implications for dietetic practice include educating college students, especially incoming freshmen, about the importance of consuming a balanced diet.