Rachel Peterson

  

THE CHANGES IN COLLEGE FRESHMEN’S EATING HABITS,

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FREQUENCY, AND SLEEP PATTERNS IN THE TRANSITION FROM HOME TO

COLLEGE

Hypothesis: Has the transition from home to college negatively affected freshman’s eating habits, physical activity, and sleep patterns? Has their fruit/vegetable/dairy intake decreased? Has their fast food consumption increased? Has their amount of sleep decreased? Do they exercise less frequently?

BACKGROUND

Effects of mindfulness of college students on anthropometric and behavioral measurements (Grinnel, Greene, Melanson, Blissmer, & Lofgren, 2011) Ranked importance of exercise and healthy eating Fruit and vegetable screener

Prevalence of the “Freshman 15” (Smith- Jackson & Reel, 2012) Series of surveys and interviews 47% females reported that college life negatively impacted

eating habits

PREVIOUS RESEARCH

Freshman seminar students 18 participants

9 male 9 female

13 Caucasian, 2 African American, 2 Asian, 1 African American/Caucasian

17 aged 18-20, 1 aged 21 or older

PARTICIPANTS

Informed Consent

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of the transition from home to college on eating habits, physical activity, and sleep patterns. You are invited to participate in this research because you are presently enrolled in a Freshman Seminar class at Northwest Missouri State University, and you are 18 years old. This study will be conducted in the freshman seminar classroom. It will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. You will be asked to complete a short survey.

There are no known risks or discomforts associated with this research. In the event of problems resulting from participation in the study, psychological treatment is available at the NWMSU Counseling Center, telephone (660-562-1220). Any information obtained during this study that could identify you will be kept strictly confidential.

You are free to decide not to participate in this study or to withdraw at any time without affecting your relationship with the researchers or with NWMSU. Your decision will not result in any loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You are voluntarily making a decision whether or not to participate in this research study. Your signature certifies that you have decided to participate having read and understood the information presented. If you so desire you will be given a copy of this consent form to keep.

Signature of Participant:

____________________________________ ______________

Signature of Research Participant Date

Name and Phone number of investigators:

Rachel Peterson: 712-621-6835 Dr. Lee McAliley: 660-562-1175

SURVEY QUESTION EXAMPLES

1. How many servings of fruit do you eat per day?a. 0b. 1c. 2d. 3

2. How many servings of fruit did you eat per day 6 months ago?a. 0b. 1c. 2d. 3

1. How many days of the week are you physically active?a. My exercise is walking to classb. A few times a monthc. 3 days per weekd. 4 or more days per week

2. How many days of the week were you physically active 6 months ago?a. My exercise is walking to classb. A few times a monthc. 3 days per weekd. 4 or more days per week

SURVEY QUESTION EXAMPLES

Gender Age Ethnicity

Fruit/day

Fruit/day (past)

veggies/day

veggies/day (past)

dairy/day

dairy/day (past)

fast food/week

fast food (past) sleep

sleep (past) exercise

exericse (past)

1male 18-21 caucasian 2 2 2 2 3 31 to 2 1 to 2 5 or less 7 to 8 4 or more4 or more

2male 18-21african american 3 2 1 1 3 3 03 to 4 6 to 7 6 to 7 4 or more

4 or more

3female 18-21 caucasian 2 2 1 2 1 21 to 2 1 to 2 6 to 7 7 to 8 4 or more

4 or more

4female 18-21 caucasian 3 3 2 2 3 33 to 4 3 to 4

more than 8 7 to 8

few times/month 3/week

5male 18-21 caucasian 0 1 1 1 3 3 01 to 2 6 to 7 5 or less 3/week4 or more

6female 18-21 caucasian 1 2 2 2 1 23 to 4 1 to 2 6 to 7 6 to 7 4 or more 3/week

7male 18-21 asian 0 2 2 3 1 21 to 2 1 to 2 6 to 7 5 or less

few times/month 3/week

8female 18-21 caucasian 1 2 1 1 1 21 to 2 1 to 2 7 to 8 6 to 7 4 or more

4 or more

9male 18-21 caucasian 0 1 0 0 2 21 to 2 1 to 2 7 to 8 7 to 8 3/week4 or more

10male 18-21 caucasian 1 1 3 2 1 11 to 2 3 to 4 6 to 7 6 to 7

few times/month

few times/month

11female 18-21 caucasian 1 2 1 1 2 21 to 2 1 to 2 6 to 7 7 to 8 3/week

4 or more

12female 18-21 caucasian 1 0 0 0 2 21 to 2 3 to 4 7 to 8 6 to 7 3/week

few times/month

13male 18-21african american 1 2 1 2 1 21 to 2 3 to 4 5 or less 6 to 7 4 or more 3/week

14female 18-21 caucasian 1 2 0 2 2 31 to 2 07 to 8

more than 8 4 or more

4 or more

15female 18-21 caucasian 1 2 3 1 3 31 to 2 1 to 2

more than 8 6 to 7

few times/month

4 or more

16male 18-21 caucasian 1 2 3 3 1 21 to 2 1 to 2more than 8

more than 8 3/week

4 or more

17male21 or older asian 1 3 2 3 0 15 or more 5 or more 6 to 7

more than 8 4 or more 3/week

18female 18-21 other 3 3 2 1 2 2 0 05 or less 6 to 7

few times/month

few times/month

RESULTS

Intake/Day Mean

Fruit Intake 1.28Fruit Intake Past 1.89Vegetable Intake 1.50Vegetable Intake Past 1.61Dairy Intake 1.78Dairy Intake Past 2.22

Average Intakes JMP statistical analysis software

PAST FRUIT INTAKES VS. CURRENT FRUIT INTAKES

Past Current

PAST VEGETABLE INTAKE VS. CURRENT VEGETABLE INTAKE

Past Current

PAST DAIRY INTAKE VS. CURRENT DAIRY INTAKE

Past Current

Matched pairs t-test JMP statistical analysis software

Note: P-Value ≥0.1 is considered statistically significant due to decreased sample size

RESULTS

Food Intake Changes P-Value Significance

Fruit 0.0036 Significant

Vegetables 0.3036 Not Significant

Dairy 0.0009 Significant

Pearson Chi Square Test JMP statistical analysis software

RESULTS

Activity Pearson Chi Square Value Significance

Fast Food 0.6442 Not significant

Sleep 0.9579 Not significant

Exercise 0.6969 Not significant

RESULTSFr

eq

0.00

0.25

0.50

0.75

1.00

fast food (past) fast food/week

TIme

0

1 to 2

3 to 4

5 or more

RESULTSAm

ount

0.00

0.25

0.50

0.75

1.00

sleep sleep (past)

Time

5 or less

6 to 7

7 to 8

more than 8

RESULTSFr

eq

0.00

0.25

0.50

0.75

1.00

exercise exericse (past)

Time

3/week

4 or more

few times/month

Hypothesis was not supported Only fruit and dairy intakes have decreased

Weaknesses of research Small sample size Data based on participants perceptions Lack of specificity on survey questions

Future research Larger sample size Compare males to females Take anthropometric measurements Longitudinal study

DISCUSSION

Grinnel, S., Greene, G., Melanson, K., Blissmer, B., & Lofgren, I. E. (2011). Anthropometric and Behavioral Measures Related to Mindfulness in College Students. Journal of American College Health , 539-545.

Smith- Jackson, T., & Reel, J. J. (2012). Freshmen Women and the "Freshman 15": Perspectives on Prevalence and Causes of College Weight Gain. Journal of American College Health , 14-20.

REFERENCES