College freshman stress and weight change: differences by gender.
OBJECTIVE
To examine how stress and health-related behaviors affect freshman weight change by gender.


METHODS
Three hundred ninety-six freshmen completed a 40-item health behavior survey and height and weight were collected at baseline and follow-up.


RESULTS
Average weight change was 5.04 lbs for males, 5.49 lbs for females. Weight gain was related to increased alcohol consumption (P=0.014) in men and increased workload (P<0.001) in women. Weight loss was associated with lower academic confidence at baseline (P=0.009) and peer pressure modified by alcohol increase (P=0.025) in men, and fruit/vegetable consumption at baseline (P=0.015) in women.


CONCLUSIONS
Gender-specific approaches to weight management in this population are needed.
Economos
Christina D
CD
New Balance Chair in Childhood Nutrition, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA. christina.economos@tufts.edu
Hildebrandt
M Lise
ML
Hyatt
Raymond R
RR
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*