The effects of heavy alcohol use on weight gain in college freshmen: Examining an overlooked calorie source

 描述（由申请人提供）：大量饮酒，体重增加和肥胖在大学生中非常普遍1，2。酒精是一种高热量来源，大学期间大量饮酒可能导致体重增加，并持续到成年。然而，对大学生这种潜在影响的研究仅限于对现有数据集的二次分析，这些数据集对酒精消费的评估较弱，往往未经验证。除了作为热量来源外，大量饮酒可能会导致饮酒事件周围的不健康饮食习惯，这也可能导致体重增加。一些学生在饮酒期间经常吃过量的高热量食物，可能是由于醉酒时食物的奖励价值增加，而另一些学生则在饮酒前限制食物以补偿酒精卡路里。成年早期的身体质量指数（BMI）对以后的BMI具有高度预测性7，8，肥胖与许多健康问题相关9 -11。 本研究的长期目标是开发一种预防干预措施，解决大学生的这两个问题。实现这一目标的一个关键障碍是缺乏大量饮酒如何导致学生体重增加的证据。这项研究的目的，这将是朝着长期目标的重要一步，是确定重度酒精使用对体重变化的影响，饮酒日的饮食模式，以及大学第一年的饮食摄入量，在此期间大量增加重度酒精使用12 -15和体重发生1，16。一个不同的大学新生组（N=174）将在学年期间进行三次评估，以评估体重，腰围，饮酒，饮食，饮食行为，冲动性和饮酒和食用可口食物的动机的变化。 拟议的研究将结合联合收割机在大学生饮酒方面的研究经验、主要申办者堪萨斯大学医学中心（KUMC）预防医学副教授Christie Befort博士的肥胖治疗研究专业知识、联合申办者哥伦比亚密苏里州大学杰出教授Kenneth Sher博士在大学生重度饮酒纵向评估方面的专业知识，KUMC营养学教授兼主席Deborah Sullivan博士在营养评估和大学生体重控制干预方面的专业知识，以及堪萨斯大学心理学助理教授Kelsie Forbush博士的饮食行为评估专业知识。拟议的研究培训计划将提供肥胖治疗方法和干预开发方面的专门培训，包括营养和酒精评估在内的两个领域的研究方法，并将加强申请人从营养和成瘾角度看待酒精使用与肥胖之间关系的知识。专业发展活动将包括指导和赠款写作课程，这将导致K奖申请。奖学金培训将有助于PI i获得成为独立研究员所需的知识，技能和经验。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Heavy alcohol use, weight gain, and obesity are highly prevalent among college students1, 2. Alcohol is a dense calorie source3 and heavy use during college may lead to weight gain that is maintained through adulthood. However, examination of this potential effect in college students has been limited to secondary analysis of existing datasets with weak, often non-validated assessment of alcohol consumption. In addition to being a caloric source, heavy drinking may lead to unhealthy eating habits surrounding drinking episodes, which may also contribute to weight gain4. Some students frequently eat excess, calorie-dense food during drinking episodes5, possibly due to the increased rewarding value of food while intoxicated4, while others restrict food before drinking to compensate for alcohol calories6. Body mass index (BMI) during young adulthood is highly predictive of BMI later in life7, 8 and obesity is associated with a host of health problems9-11. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a prevention intervention that addresses both problems in college students. A critical barrier to accomplishing this goal is the lack of evidence on how heavy alcohol use contributes to weight gain in students. The objective of the study, which will be an important step toward the long term goal, is to determine the effects of heavy alcohol use on weight change, eating patterns on drinking days, and dietary intake during the first year of college, a period in which substantial increases in heavy alcohol use12-15 and weight occur1, 16. A diverse group of college freshmen (N=174) will be assessed three times during the academic year to evaluate changes in weight, waist circumference, alcohol use, diet, eating behavior, impulsivity, and motivation to drink alcohol and eat palatable food. The proposed study will combine the PI's research experience in college student alcohol use with the obesity treatment research expertise of primary sponsor Dr. Christie Befort, Associate Professor of Preventative Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC), the expertise of co-sponsor Dr. Kenneth Sher, Distinguished Professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia in longitudinal assessment of college students' heavy alcohol use, the expertise of co-sponsor Dr. Deborah Sullivan, Chair and Professor of Nutrition at KUMC, in nutrition assessment and college student weight control interventions, and the eating behavior assessment expertise of co-sponsor Dr. Kelsie Forbush, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Kansas. The proposed research training plan will provide specialized training in obesity treatment methods and intervention development, research methods specific to both fields including nutrition and alcohol assessment, and will strengthen the applicant's knowledge of the relationship between alcohol use and obesity as viewed from nutrition and addiction perspectives. Professional development activities will include mentoring and a course in grant writing, which will lead to a K-award application. The fellowship training will facilitate the PI i gaining the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to become an independent researcher.