Date Approved

2026

Degree Type

Open Access Senior Honors Thesis

Department or School

Health Sciences

First Advisor

Catherine Gammon, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Christopher W. Herman, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Ann R. Eisenberg, Ph.D.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: College is a pivotal period for the development of lifelong health behaviors. Factors such as greater personal freedom, poor diet, social norms, and insufficient physical activity (PA) contribute to common weight gain and increase of body image challenges. Although many college students report trying to lose weight, there is limited research examining if their PA and dietary behaviors align with evidence-based health recommendations. PURPOSE: Examine the proportion of college students trying to change their weight and their engagement in weight-related behaviors such as PA, strength training (ST), and dietary factors. METHODS: In Fall 2019, a random sample of 5,000 students enrolled at a Midwest University was invited to complete the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment III (ACHA-NCHA). A total of 757 students responded (15.2% response rate). The ACHA-NCHA survey collects self-reported data on demographics, height, weight, PA, ST, and dietary behaviors. Among participants who were trying to lose weight, the frequencies (N and percentages) that were meeting the PA and ST guidelines, and consuming healthier amounts of fruits, vegetables, and sugar-sweetened beverages were calculated. RESULTS: Demographic data indicated that most participants identified as white (75.6%), female (71.4%), undergraduate (76.7%), full-time students (76.6%). A majority of participants reported that they were trying to lose weight (54.7%) and 30.9% of these participants were classified as ‘underweight’ or ‘healthy weight’ using body mass index groups. Among the participants trying to lose weight, 54.6% didn’t meet ST guidelines, 43.0% didn’t meet PA guidelines, 50.9% consumed greater than or equal to 2 sugary beverages per day, 74.9% consumed less than or equal to 2 servings of fruit per day, and 69.7% consumed insufficient vegetables per day. CONCLUSION: Many college students are attempting to lose weight, yet their behaviors are inconsistent with achieving weight

loss - a little over half meet PA guidelines, less than half meet ST guidelines, and rates of fruit and vegetable intake are low. These findings suggest a need for better education on evidencebased strategies for weight management and health. A strength of this project is the large sample size. A limitation is the use of self-reported PA data, which may be overestimated. Future research and interventions should aim to support college students in adopting sustainable and effective health habits.

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