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Changes in Body Composition Despite Changes in Dietary Intake or Eating Behaviors During the Fall Semester in First Year College Students
Author(s) -
Jones Kassandra,
Vera Desiree,
Dunn Sarah L.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.686.9
Subject(s) - snacking , meal , overeating , body mass index , psychology , emotional eating , composition (language) , added sugar , obesity , medicine , eating behavior , gerontology , demography , environmental health , endocrinology , linguistics , philosophy , sociology
Dietary intake and the attainment of nutrient recommendations may play a critical role in the maintenance of overall health by preventing disease. Disturbances in eating often result in negative changes in body composition from maladaptive lifestyle choices. Longitudinal studies observing the emerging college student found that the types of eating behaviors and body composition developed were maintained into adulthood. The aim of this study was to assess changes in the body composition, dietary intake and eating behaviors of first year college students in the fall semester of their first year. First year college students (N=23, age 18.3 ± 0.6 years, male n=10, female n=13) from the University of La Verne were asked to provide data for their eating behaviors and visit the laboratory for body composition assessments (Tanita 310, Tanita, Japan) which included; body weight (BW), percent body fat (BF%), fat mass (FM), fat free mass (FFM), and a calculated body mass index (BMI) pre and post first semester. Students completed the Eating Behavior Patterns Questionnaire adapted from the Situational Obstacles to Dietary Adherence Questionnaire in order to analyze certain classifications of behavioral eating. The subcategory factors used were: low‐fat eating (conscious of food composition), emotional eating (eating or not eating for comfort), lifestyle behaviors (location and social aspects surrounding meals), meal skipping (overeating or other meal skipping reasons), haphazard planning (the inability to meal prep or cook) and snacking on sweets (specifically eating or obtaining high sugar content foods such as cookies). A record of daily dietary intake for a total of 3 days, 2 days during the week and 1 day during the weekend was assessed using Dietary Analysis Plus software (Cengage, USA). A paired sample t‐test (SPSS v.21, P ‐value of < 0.05 used to determine significance) assessing the changes over the semester for eating behavioral factors, dietary intake and body composition. Significant changes in BW [1.5 ± 2.1 kg, t (21) = −3.345, p < 0.05], BF% [2.1 ± 3.7 % , t (21) = −2.714, p < 0.05], BMI [0.5 ± 0.8 kg/m 2 , t (21) = −2.817, p < 0.05], and FM [2.6 ± 4.2 kg , t (21) = −2.970, p < 0.05], were found across the semester despite a lack of significant change in dietary intake and eating behaviors. Interestingly, while the change in FFM (−0.5 ± 2.8 kg) was not significant, a reduction despite no change in dietary intake or eating behaviors may represent a lack of physical activity throughout the first semester leading to the changes found in body composition. Future studies assessing body composition, dietary intake, and eating behaviors in college freshman should consider physical activity or barriers to physical activity when assessing body composition change across the first semester in first year college students.