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      Changes in weight, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and dietary intake during the transition to higher education: a prospective study

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          Abstract

          Background

          The transition to higher education involves a significant life change and might be accompanied with less healthy behaviours. However, the only longitudinal study that spanned the period from high school to college/university was limited to self-reported weight. Other studies assessed objective weight, but only at the start of the first semester at college/university and used retrospective questionnaires to asses health behaviours in high school. This study investigated changes in objectively assessed weight and prospective health behaviours during the transition from high school to college/university in Belgian students and examined which health behaviour changes were related to weight change.

          Methods

          A sample of 291 students was followed from the final year of high school until the second year of college/university. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were measured objectively. Physical activity, sedentary behaviours and dietary intake were estimated using validated questionnaires. In order to study changes in BMI and health behaviours, 2 × 2 (time × gender) Repeated Measures ANOVA analyses were conducted. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was executed to investigate the association between changes in health behaviours and BMI changes, and the moderating effect of gender.

          Results

          On average students gained 2.7 kg with a greater increase in boys (boys: 4.2 kg, girls: 1.9 kg). Active transportation and sport participation decreased. Some sedentary behaviours (watching TV/DVD, playing computer games) decreased, while others (internet use, studying) increased. Consumption of different foods decreased, while alcohol consumption increased. A higher decrease in sport participation, a higher increase in internet use and a lower increase in studying were related to a greater increase in BMI. An increase in alcohol consumption only contributed to weight gain in boys, whereas a decrease in fruit/vegetable intake only contributed to weight gain in girls.

          Conclusion

          We can conclude that the transition to higher education is an at risk period for weight gain and unfavourable changes in health behaviours. Interventions to prevent weight gain in college/university students should therefore already start in high school with a somewhat different focus in boys versus girls.

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          Most cited references84

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          Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties.

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            Emerging adulthood. A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties.

            J Arnett (2000)
            Emerging adulthood is proposed as a new conception of development for the period from the late teens through the twenties, with a focus on ages 18-25. A theoretical background is presented. Then evidence is provided to support the idea that emerging adulthood is a distinct period demographically, subjectively, and in terms of identity explorations. How emerging adulthood differs from adolescence and young adulthood is explained. Finally, a cultural context for the idea of emerging adulthood is outlined, and it is specified that emerging adulthood exists only in cultures that allow young people a prolonged period of independent role exploration during the late teens and twenties.
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              High self-control predicts good adjustment, less pathology, better grades, and interpersonal success.

              What good is self-control? We incorporated a new measure of individual differences in self-control into two large investigations of a broad spectrum of behaviors. The new scale showed good internal consistency and retest reliability. Higher scores on self-control correlated with a higher grade point average, better adjustment (fewer reports of psychopathology, higher self-esteem), less binge eating and alcohol abuse, better relationships and interpersonal skills, secure attachment, and more optimal emotional responses. Tests for curvilinearity failed to indicate any drawbacks of so-called overcontrol, and the positive effects remained after controlling for social desirability. Low self-control is thus a significant risk factor for a broad range of personal and interpersonal problems.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Benedicte.Deforche@UGent.be
                Delfien.Vandyck@UGent.be
                Tom.Deliens@vub.ac.be
                Ilse.Debourdeaudhuij@UGent.be
                Journal
                Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act
                Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act
                The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
                BioMed Central (London )
                1479-5868
                15 February 2015
                15 February 2015
                2015
                : 12
                : 16
                Affiliations
                [ ]Department of Public Health, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
                [ ]Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
                [ ]Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), Egmontstraat 5, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
                [ ]Department of Human Biometrics and Biomechanics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinstraat 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
                Article
                173
                10.1186/s12966-015-0173-9
                4332914
                25881147
                4cfc5cce-d397-48bd-a263-2a205922eff7
                © Deforche et al.; licensee BioMed Central. 2015

                This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

                History
                : 21 March 2014
                : 26 January 2015
                Categories
                Research
                Custom metadata
                © The Author(s) 2015

                Nutrition & Dietetics
                body mass index,freshman 15,health behaviour,longitudinal study,students,body weight changes

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