title: Evaluating race/ethnicity in moderating baseline cardiometabolic risk and body composition changes in North Carolina first-year college women.
abstract: The roles of race/ethnicity and geographical region in the context of first-year college weight gain remain largely under-examined. The present study evaluated whether race/ethnicity: (1) at baseline was associated with greater representation in cardiometabolic health risk categories for body mass index, percent body fat, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio in the full sample of 54 Black/African American and 80 White/European American first-year female undergraduates attending a North Carolina state university; and (2) moderated body composition changes between the beginning of the fall and spring semesters among the 83 participants who completed baseline and follow-up visits (N = 39 Black/African Americans). More Black/African Americans than White/European Americans had percent body fat values ≥32% at baseline; a greater proportion of White/European Americans than Black/African Americans had a waist-to-hip ratio >0.80. Among those who completed baseline and follow-up visits, White/European Americans had higher waist-to-hip ratios (unadjusted: p <0.01, adjusted for family income: p < 0.01) and waist circumferences (adjusted for family income: p < 0.05) at both time points. No strong moderating effects of race/ethnicity were detected. Preliminary results suggested that greater consideration of racial/ethnic indicators and potential regional variation in these biometric attributes among first-year college students is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, USA. jennifer.webb@uncc.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Webb
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology*; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014495:Universities; D014505:Urban Population; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult