None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study aims to identify what the impact of young adults in their first year of university has on behaviours and choices made around diet and exercise, and how this may impact on nutritional intake, physical activity and anthropometric measures. This concept has been fuelled by longitudinal studies from the US which have consistently demonstrated an increase in weight during the first year of university with the rate of weight gain in university students determined to be 5.5 times greater than the general community. To date there has been no study in Australia documenting dietary and physical activity levels in first year undergraduate students and the impact on weight. As obesity is a growing health concern in young adults in Australia, it is important to identify how the influences involved in the transition period from high school to university, as well as observing changes in overall health and lifestyle patterns, may guide universities and health practitioners in providing advice and strategies on healthy and sustainable choices that can be made around diet and exercise to prevent further weight gain as a result of a new environment.
Interventions
This will be a prospective observational study that consists of: 1 baseline visit, and 12 monthly follow-up visits.
The baseline visit (90 minutes) involves: the measurement of body height (Seca stadiometer), body weight (Tanita scale) and body fat % (bioelectrical impedence method), waist and hip circumference measurements (measuring tape), self-administered questionnaires on demographic/study load information, food knowledge (General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire), habitual food intake (3
This will be a prospective observational study that consists of: 1 baseline visit, and 12 monthly follow-up visits. The baseline visit (90 minutes) involves: the measurement of body height (Seca stadiometer), body weight (Tanita scale) and body fat % (bioelectrical impedence method), waist and hip circumference measurements (measuring tape), self-administered questionnaires on demographic/study load information, food knowledge (General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire), habitual food intake (3-day food diaries), physical activity patterns (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), eating behaviours (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire), and resting energy expenditure measurement using an indirect calorimeter (Truemax 1200, ParvoMedic Inc.). Monthly follow-up visits will be conducted for the next 12 months after the baseline visit. During all follow-up visits, body weight and body composition measurements will be repeated. At 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months, height will be taken using a stadiometer, and demographic/study load information, physical activity patterns and eating behaviours will be reassessed using questionnaires. Dietary intake will also be assessed using a 3-day food diary. At the final visit, all measurements taken at baseline will be repeated. In total, the study will require 6 hours (over the 12 months) to complete, as the baseline and final visits will require about 90 minutes each, standard follow-up visits involving weight measurements only will take 10 minutes and follow up visits when additional information on dietary intake and physical activity is required will take 30 minutes.
Sponsors
Evangeline Mantzioris
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
- Newly enrolled university undergraduate students - Overall healthy
Exclusion criteria
- Have studied in the past 5 years at University - Participants receiving their nutrition either via naso-gastric (NG) tube or Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) - Chronic conditions which affect dietary intake or absorption of nutrients or body weight
Outcome results
None listed