WEIGHT AND BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES IN FIRST SEMESTER COLLEGE FRESHMEN Except where reference is made to the work of others, the work described in this thesis is my own or was done in collaboration with my advisory committee. This thesis does not include proprietary or classified information _____________________________ Desiree Saunders Certificate of Approval: _____________________________ _____________________________ Kevin Huggins Sareen Gropper, Chair Assistant Professor Professor Nutrition and Food Science Nutrition and Food Science _____________________________ _____________________________ Karla Simmons George T. Flowers Assistant Professor Interim Dean Consumer Affairs Graduate School WEIGHT AND BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES IN FIRST SEMESTER COLLEGE FRESHMEN Desiree Saunders A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Master of Science Auburn, Alabama August 9, 2008 WEIGHT AND BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES IN FIRST SEMESTER COLLEGE FRESHMEN Desiree Saunders Permission is granted to Auburn University to make copies of this thesis at its discretion, upon request of individuals or institutions at their expense. The author reserves all publication rights. _____________________________ Signature of Author _____________________________ Date of Graduation iii VITA Desiree Saunders, daughter of Tim and Marisela Saunders, was born in Miami, FL on April 2, 1984. Upon graduating from Bob Jones High School in Madison, AL, Desiree chose to attend Auburn University where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Food Science with an emphasis in Dietetics. In May of 2007, Desiree continued her education at Auburn University’s Graduate School by pursuing a Master of Science Degree in Nutrition in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science under the direction of Dr. Sareen S. Gropper. iv THESIS ABSTRACT WEIGHT AND BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES IN FIRST SEMESTER COLLEGE FRESHMEN Desiree Saunders Master of Sciences, August 9, 2008 (B.S., Auburn University, 2007) 93 Typed Pages Directed by Sareen S. Gropper The “freshman 15” is a common phenomenon that is thought to occur to first year college students. It is the popular idea that college freshmen, due to various reasons, gain 15 pounds during their first year at school. Although this belief is common, there is little scientific evidence to support it. This study examined weight and body composition changes and factors influencing weight change during the first semester of college in a sample of the 2007-08 Auburn University freshman class. Anthropometric measurements were collected for 240 college freshmen (156 females, 84 males) at the beginning of fall semester 2007. Measurements included height and body weight assessed by standard techniques and body composition assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Subjects also completed questionnaires regarding diet and lifestyle choices. v Of the 240 initial participants, 214 (89.2%) were reassessed at the end of fall semester 2007. Weight change for the group ranged from a 15.8 lb weight loss to a 16.2 lb weight gain. The average weight gain was 2.1 lbs. Forty-five (21%) of the 214 students gained 5 lbs or more. Seven students (3.3%) gained 10 lbs or more fall semester. Weight gain did not differ among subjects who were underweight, normal weight, or at risk of/overweight. Mean body fat increased significantly by 1.8 lbs, and mean percent body fat increased significantly by 0.9% between the beginning and the end of fall semester. Males gained significantly more body fat mass than females. Mean body mass index (not lean body mass) also increased significantly by 0.3 kg/m2 over fall semester with no differences between males and females. Of the 214, 68.7% (147; 94 females, 53 males) gained weight. The weight gain group gained an average of 4.1 lbs (range 0.2 to 16.2 lbs) and the average body fat gain was 2.4 lbs. Males who gained weight gained significantly more weight than females who gained weight (4.8 lbs versus 3.7 lbs respectively). Of the dietary and lifestyle factors examined, students living in campus housing tended to gain more weight (2.4 ± 3.5 lbs) than those who lived in non- campus housing (1.5 ± 5.0 lbs), and students who dined with more than two companions at campus all-you-can-eat facilities gained more weight (3.9 ± 3.2 lbs) than those who dined with two or fewer companions (1.8 ± 3.5 lbs). The results of this study suggest that weight gain is a problem for most college freshmen, during their first semester, and selected lifestyle habits associated with campus life may contribute to the problem. Weight change tended to be associated with number of on campus dining companions (r=0.285; p=0.052) and alcoholic drink consumption (r=0.111; p=0.106), and tended to be inversely associated with fruit and vegetable consumption (r=-0.110; p=0.108). iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would first like to express deepest appreciation to Dr. Sareen Gropper for continual guidance, support, and encouragement. The author would also like to thank her committee members, Dr. Kevin Huggins, and Dr. Karla Simmons, for their review and suggestions of the thesis. A very special appreciation is also extended to Alisha Gaines for her help in data collection and to Dr. Daniel Gropper for his help with statistical analyses. The author would also like to thank her parents, Tim and Marisela Saunders, as well as her brother, Jeff Saunders for their endless support and love. vii Style manual of journal used: Journal of Food Science Computer software used: Microsoft Word, Microsoft excel, InStat, SPSS viii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ................................................................................x CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………1 CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ....................................................................3 CHAPTER 3. WEIGHT AND BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES IN FIRST SEMESTER COLLEGE FRESHMEN...............................................................35 CHAPTER 4. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS...................................................................68 REFERENCES..............................................................................................................71 APPENDIX: APPROVAL FORM................................................................................81 ix LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1 Selected demographic characteristics of sample population ....................60 Table 2 Body weight, body mass index (BMI), lean body mass (LBM), body fat mass, and percent body fat of college freshmen at the beginning and end of fall semester .......................................................................................61 Table 3 Body weight, body mass index (BMI), lean body mass (LBM), body fat, and percent body fat of 147 college freshmen who gained weight from the beginning to the end of fall semester.......................................................62 Table 4 Change in body weight, body mass index (BMI), lean body mass (LBM), body fat, and percent body fat of 61 college freshmen who lost weight from beginning to end of fall semester....................................................63 Table 5 Differences in activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, sleep, fast food dining and number of dining companions, restaurant dining and number of dining companions, on-campus dining and number of dining companions, breakfast consumption, and dietary choices among freshmen who gained weight versus those that lost weight or remained the same at the end of fall semester .................................................................................................64 Table 6 Weight change among subjects based on differences in place of residence, activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, sleep, fast food dining and number of dining companions, restaurant dining and number of dining x companions, on-campus dining and number of dining companions, breakfast consumption, and dietary choices for fall semester ..................65 Figure 1 Changes in absolute body weight, lean body mass (LBM), body fat, percent body fat, and body mass index (BMI) from the beginning to the end of fall semester for 214 college freshmen .........................................66 Figure 2 Figure 1: Changes in absolute body weight, body mass index (BMI), lean body mass (LBM), body fat and percent body fat from the beginning to the end of fall semester for 214 college freshmen .........................................67 xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Overweight and obesity are growing problems facing the United States. Nearly two thirds of adults living in the U.S. are overweight or obese (CDC 2007g). According to the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 36.6% of adults in the U.S. are overweight, and 26.3% are obese (CDC 2007g). The problem of overweight and obesity is not just facing adults; children are also affected. The 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) show increases in the number of overweight children and teens. In 2003-2004 13.9% of children aged 2–5 years were overweight, 18.8% of children aged 6–11 years were overweight, and 17.4% of children aged 12–19 years were overweight (CDC 2007b). There are several major adverse consequences that arise from being overweight or obese. The increasing rates of overweight and obesity are of major concern because of their implications for Americans’ health. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of