Participants
A total of 471 college students enrolled in the study during the spring semester 2002. Participants were recruited using a stratified random sample of classes from upper and lower division general education classes. Final class selection was dependent on obtaining instructor permission to enter classes. A proportionate number of students from lower and upper division classes were selected. The study protocol and survey instrument were approved by the university’s institutional review board for the protection of human subjects.

Design

All participants were asked to complete a survey designed to assess the dietary and exercise habits and perceived barriers to following a healthy lifestyle of college students. The current survey was adapted from a University of North Florida’s survey of diet and exercise of freshman (Rodriguez, 1999). The survey had 38 questions and was divided into three sections. The first section (six questions) asked for anthropometric and demographic data. The second section (20 questions) asked participants about their current dietary habits and perceived barriers to eating a healthy diet. The third section (nine questions) asked participants about their current physical activity patterns, perceived body image and perceived barriers to an active life. The survey took approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Statistical Analyses

We used the SPSS package (LEAD Technologies, Inc.) for Windows, release 11.0, to analyze the data. Frequencies were used as descriptors of the student population. Chi-Square (χ2) statistics were used to examine differences in frequencies of responses to questions on dietary and exercise habits and perceived barriers to following a healthy lifestyle by gender.

Results

Approximately 60% of the participants were female and most were aged 18-21 years. There were very few graduate students represented in this sample. Thirty-one percent of the population had a body-mass-index (BMI) greater than 25 based on self-reported height and weight data, indicating a high percentage of overweight (BMI 25 – 29.9) and obese (BMI > 30) individuals in such a young population. Forty percent of men compared with 20% of women had a BMI greater than 25. One question on the survey asked participants if they had lost, gained or had no change in weight in the last few years. Of the 414 participants who responded to this question, 46% stated they had gained weight, 30% had no change in weight, and 24% had lost weight. Of those that had gained weight, the average + SD gain was 12 + 10 pounds (range: 2 – 100 pounds).