SummaryThe college environment increases risk of weight gain in young adults with overweight/obesity. Behavioural weight loss interventions are proven effective, however, young adults' adherence to such programs is poor. The purpose of the study was to determine weight loss treatment preferences of 2‐ and 4‐year college students for the development of population‐specific interventions. Students with a BMI ≥25, between 18 and 24 years of age, and enrolled in one of four institutions were recruited. A questionnaire was developed to assess students' preferences and was administered via Qualtrics. BMI was calculated from objectively assessed height and weight measurements. Descriptive analyses, chi‐square, Fisher's Exact Test, Mann‐Whitney U test and Cramer's V were performed. Participants (n = 133, age = 20.2 ± 1.8) predominately identified as female (70%), non‐Hispanic (68%) and Black/African American (32%) or White (32%). Fifty‐five percent met criteria for obesity. Most students preferred session length of ≤1 hour (78%), for meetings to be held on a weekday (70%) and for both a peer and a professional to co‐facilitate meetings (61%). Preferences for health outcomes and physical activity monitoring, type of physical activity, frequency of dietary monitoring, physical activity tracking method and interest in financial incentives to promote core treatment components differed between institutions. Heterogeneity in program preferences by college environment should be considered when designing weight loss interventions.
Objectives Emerging adults attending 2- and 4-year tertiary institutions are at high risk for weight gain/excess weight. Developing effective, tailored interventions requires an understanding of behavioral/environmental differences between student populations. The objective of this study was to describe eating behaviors/the food environment of students with overweight/obesity enrolled in 2- and 4-year tertiary institutions. Methods Students ages 18–24, with a BMI ≥25, enrolled in LaGuardia Community College (N = 41) or New York University (N = 51) were recruited. Height and weight were objectively measured. Participants completed a Qualtrics survey, which included: 1) Produce Consumption Self-Efficacy (SEPC) subscale, 2) Fruit and Vegetable Consumption subscale, and 3) questions regarding usual meal location/meal preparer. Descriptive, Mann-Whitney U and chi-square analyses were conducted. Results Ninety-two students (64.8% female, age = 19.6 ± 1.7, BMI 31.4 ± 5.8) from 2- and 4-year tertiary institutions completed the survey. Two year students were significantly older (P = .0001), had a higher BMI (P = .01), and scored higher on: self-reported consumption of at least 5 servings of fruit per day (P = .01), self-efficacy for eating fruits and vegetables as a snack, even if everybody else were eating other snacks (P = .02), and eating 9 half cups of fruits and vegetables each day (P = .0002). A greater percentage of 4-year students reported eating most of their meals “in an on-campus dining hall” (53 vs. 28%; P = .04); while more 2-year students reported “my place of residence” (41 vs. 35%) or “on-the-go, which I previously prepared at home” (21 vs. 4%). Usual meal preparer differed between student populations (P < .001); 4-year students were more likely to identify “the college/university I attend” (69 vs. 13%) while a greater percentage of 2-year students indicated “my parental figures” (38 vs. 4%) or “myself” (33 vs. 19%). Conclusions Community college students tended to have a higher BMI, despite reporting higher fruit/vegetable consumption self-efficacy and being more likely to eat meals, prepared by themselves or their parental figures, at home or on-the go. Differences in eating behaviors, beliefs and meal conditions should be taken into account when designing weight loss interventions for these understudied, high-risk populations. Funding Sources NYU College of Arts and Science Dean's Undergraduate Research Fund Grant (Spring 2018).
Objectives College students with overweight/obesity previously reported a lack of confidence in meal planning/production, which may contribute to current weight status and subsequent weight gain. The objectives of this study were to: 1) determine cooking beliefs of students with overweight/obesity from different environments and 2) assess interest in a culinary-focused, weight loss program. Methods Students with overweight or obesity (BMI > 25), ages 18–24, enrolled in New York University (NYU) or LaGuardia Community College (LCC) were recruited. Participants completed a Qualtrics survey that included: 1) Cooking Attitudes Subscale, 2) Cooking Behaviors Subscale, 3) Cooking Self-Efficacy Scale (SEC), 4) Self-Efficacy for Using Basic Cooking Techniques Scale (SECT) and 5) a culinary program preference questionnaire. Height and weight were objectively measured. Descriptive, Chi square, Kruskal-Wallis, and post hoc Dunn test statistics were conducted. Results Students (N = 91; 19.6 ± 1.6 years; BMI 31.7 ± 5.6) were 64% female and 24% non-Hispanic. Institution type was associated with ethnicity (P = 0.03), with a higher percentage of non-Hispanic students from NYU. NYU students had a significantly lower BMI (P = 0.01) and were younger (P = 0.005). There was a significant difference in the Cooking Behaviors Subscale between institutions, with NYU students having overall lower scores (P = 0.0001). For LCC, there was a significant difference in BMI between the lowest and third quartiles of SECT scores (P = 0.04); students with a higher BMI had lower scores. At NYU, there was a significant difference in BMI between the lowest and second (P = 0.004) and third (P = 0.01) quartiles of the Cooking Behaviors Subscale; the lowest quartile had a higher mean BMI. Regardless of institution, the majority of students were interested in participating in a culinary-focused weight loss program for 6–8 weeks. However, NYU students reported a greater interest in weekly group meetings (P = 0.0001). Conclusions There is heterogeneity in cooking beliefs by college environment and BMI. However, interest in a culinary-focused, weight loss program is high for both 2- and 4-year tertiary institution students with overweight/obesity. Focus groups will be used for the development of population specific interventions. Funding Sources NYU College of Arts and Science Dean's Undergraduate Research Fund Grant (Spring 2018).
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