Impact of Food Intake Habits on Weight among University of Guam Students

This study investigated the dietary habits of college age students via a survey to identify factors that may impact weight among students at University of Guam. Applying a quantitative approach, this study examined the relationship between the students’ food intake habits and Body Mass Index (BMI), using BMI as an indicator of the students’ body fatness. The data-gathering instrument for this study was an online survey asking students to self-report their frequency of various dietary intakes. The results of 313 completed and usable surveys showed a high consumption of fast food and sugar beverages among the students, which impacted their weight gain. Males and females displayed similar dietary intake patterns for most food types with male students consuming a higher intake of beverages with sugar per week than females. These findings show that a high frequency of certain foods and beverages can have an impact on weight, as half of the college students in this study were either overweight or obese with a significantly larger percentage of males than females in these weight categories. Further research in this regard is recommended to include a longitudinal study examining college students’ weight from college entrance to graduation.