title: Can weight predict academic performance in college students? An analysis of college women's self-efficacy, absenteeism, and depressive symptoms as mediators.
abstract: Over a third of American college students are either overweight or obese, which has been suggested to negatively impact their academic achievement.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study seeks to better understand the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and grade point average (GPA), while examining potential mediators of this association.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consists of 298 college women who volunteered to complete online questionnaires between October and December 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although no significant differences were noted for sociodemographic variables, overweight and obese female students were found to report lower GPA and academic self-efficacy as well as higher depressive symptoms, compared with their normal-weight counterparts. Academic self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between BMI and GPA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To foster better academic achievement in female college students, and especially for those who are overweight and obese, strategies for improving self-efficacy and adaptation to college should be implemented.
authors.affiliation: a Département de psychoéducation et de psychologie , Université du Québec en Outaouais , Gatineau, Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aimé
authors.affiliation: a Département de psychoéducation et de psychologie , Université du Québec en Outaouais , Gatineau, Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Aude
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villatte
authors.affiliation: a Département de psychoéducation et de psychologie , Université du Québec en Outaouais , Gatineau, Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cyr
authors.affiliation: b Département de psychologie , Université du Québec à Montréal , Montréal, Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marcotte
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000073978:Academic Performance / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D011792:Quebec; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Academic self-efficacy; BMI; GPA; college women; depressive symptoms; school attendance