title: Predicting 1-year change in body mass index among college students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite beliefs about weight gain in college, few researchers have evaluated this phenomenon.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 18- to 31-year-old students at a midwestern university. The dependent variable was body mass index (BMI) change.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors extracted predictor variables from a Health Risk Appraisal. These included clinical, medical history, medical usage, medications, pain or chronic conditions, perceptual measures, and behavioral factors. The authors performed an ordinal regression technique separately by gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No predictors were significant for men. Women in the BMI gain group were (1) more likely to consume alcohol, use maladaptive coping behaviors, eat foods low in fiber, and consume caffeine; and (2) less likely to be stress-free, to eat cruciferous vegetables, and to refrain from eating high-cholesterol foods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lack of research on predictors of and interventions for reducing BMI gain among college students warrants more research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Wellness, Arizona State University, AZ, USA. drtroy@cox.net
authors.forename: Troy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D015146:Midwestern United States; D009043:Motor Activity; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014495:Universities; D015430:Weight Gain