Eat, Sleep, Work, Play: Associations of Weight Status and Health-Related Behaviors among Young Adult College Students. Issue 2 (November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Quick, Virginia; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; White, Adrienne A.; Brown, Onikia; Colby, Sarah; Shoff, Suzanne; Lohse, Barbara; Horacek, Tanya; Kidd, Tanda; Greene, Geoffrey
• Is Part Of: American journal of health promotion. Volume 29:Issue 2(2014)
• Page Start: e64
• Page End: e72
• Publication Date: 2014-11
• Subjects: Young Adults -- Health -- Behaviors -- Weight -- Sleep -- Eating -- Prevention Research -- Manuscript format: research -- Research purpose: modeling/relationship testing -- Study design: nonexperimental -- Outcome measure: behavioral -- Setting: school -- Health focus: weight control -- Strategy: skill building/behavior change -- Target population age: adults -- Target population circumstances: education/income level, race/ethnicity; Health promotion -- Periodicals; Health Promotion; Health promotion; Periodicals; Periodicals; 613.05
• DOI: 10.4278/ajhp.130327-QUAN-130
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0890-1171

Abstract

Purpose: To examine relationships of sleep, eating, and exercise behaviors; work time pressures; and sociodemographic characteristics by weight status (healthy weight [body mass index or BMI < 25] vs. overweight [BMI ≥ 25]) of young adults. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Nine U.S. universities. Subjects: Enrolled college students (N = 1252; 18–24 years; 80% white; 59% female). Measures: Survey included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), Satter Eating Competence Inventory (ecSI), National Cancer Institute Fruit/Vegetable Screener, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Work Time Pressure items, and sociodemographic characteristics. Analysis: Chi-square and t-tests determined significant bivariate associations of sociodemographics, sleep behaviors, eating behaviors, physical activity behavior, and work time pressures with weight status (i.e., healthy vs. overweight/obese). Statistically significant bivariate associations with weight status were then entered into a multivariate logistic regression model that estimated associations with being overweight/obese. Results: Sex (female), race (nonwhite), older age, higher Global PSQI score, lower ecSI total score, and higher TFEQ Emotional Eating Scale score were significantly (p < .05) associated with overweight/obesity in bivariate analyses. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that sex (female; odds ratio [OR] = 2.05, confidence interval [CI] = 1.54–2.74), older age (OR = 1.35, CI= 1.21–1.50), higher Global PSQI score (OR = 1.07, CI = 1.01–1.13), and lower ecSI score (OR = .96, CI = .94–.98), were significantly (p < .05) associated with overweight/obesity. Conclusion: Findings suggest that obesity prevention interventions for college students should include an education component to emphasize the importance of overall sleep quality and improving eating competence.