LIFESTYLE AND BODY WEIGHT CHANGES IN YOUNG FEMALES

该子项目是利用NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的许多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为中心，不一定是研究者所在机构。在过去的十年中，在年轻人（18 - 29岁）中观察到成人肥胖患病率的最高增幅。流行病学研究表明，体重的显著变化发生在成年早期。伴随着体重的增加，慢性疾病的风险也会增加。因此，确定体重发生变化的关键生命阶段非常重要。据信，在成年早期体重增加的一组年轻人是住在校园里的大学一年级女生。据信，学生在大学的第一年增加了15磅（6.8公斤），也被称为“新生15”。然而，很少有研究系统地研究了大学第一年生活在校园里与生活在家里相比体重的变化。因此，本研究的目的是：1）确定生活在中西部一所大型大学主校区的一年级女大学生体重变化的方向和幅度，并将这些变化与在中西部一所大型大学注册但住在家里的一年级女大学生进行比较; 2）确定体重相关变化的决定因素。将采用准实验设计，受试者将作为主要分析单位。受试者将是由俄亥俄州州立大学的大学注册处随机选择的200名大一女生，其中一半住在校园里，另一半住在家里。 所有随机选择的受试者将在2005年8月（基线）期间通过邮寄收到一份书面调查。当秋季开始时，将要求受试者立即访问一般临床研究中心（GCRC），使用生物电阻抗测量身高、体重和身体成分（访视1）。在2006年春季，受试者将返回GCRC完成与基线相同的问卷，并使用生物电阻抗测量身高、体重和身体成分（访视2）。 主要结局变量是体重变化。关注的次要结果是身体成分、体力活动、饮食和节食实践变量的变化。将对在访视1和访视2期间获得身高和体重测量值的受试者进行数据分析。将使用描述性统计量总结受试者的基线特征。将使用协方差分析，协变量为基线体重、吸烟、基线体力活动和种族。这些变量将用作协变量，因为已知其与体重随时间变化相关。方差分析将被用来确定体重的变化是否是不同的一年级女大学生生活在主校区相比，一年级女大学生生活在家里。这项研究将提供有关成年早期生命关键阶段体重变化的重要信息。如果大学第一年被确定为女性体重变化的关键时期，则可以针对女大学生制定目标、采取干预措施和开展提高认识活动，这些活动可以很容易地推广到全国各地的学院和大学。同样，如果没有发生重大变化，重要的是要分散这些信息，改变关于“新生15”的神话。 该项目将提供可纳入更大纵向项目的初步数据。该项目还将提供可能用于提高认识的初步数据。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Over the past decade the highest increase in the prevalence of obesity in adults was observed among young adults (18-29 y of age). Epidemiological studies show that significant changes in body weight occur during early adulthood. Accompanying this increase in body weight is an increased risk for chronic disease. Therefore, it is important to identify key stages of life during which changes in body weight occur. One group of young individuals that are believed to gain body weight during early adulthood is female first-year college students living on campus. It is believed that students gain 15 lbs (6.8 kg) during their first year in college, also referred to "the freshmen 15". Few studies however, have systematically examined how body weight changes during the first year of college while living on campus compared to living at home. Therefore, the aims of this study are: 1) to determine the direction and magnitude of weight change among first-year female college students living on the main campus at a large Midwestern university and to compare these changes to first-year female college students enrolled at this large Midwestern university but living at home; and 2) to identify determinants of the associated changes in weight. A quasi-experimental design will be used, and subjects will be the primary unit of analysis. Subjects will be 200 incoming female freshman randomly selected by the university registrar at The Ohio State University half of whom will be living on campus, the other half living at home. All randomly selected subjects will receive a written survey by mail during August of 2005 (baseline). Subjects will be asked to visit the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) immediately when fall quarter starts for the measurement of height, weight and body composition using Bioelectrical Impedance (VISIT 1). During the Spring of 2006, subjects will return to the GCRC to complete the same questionnaires as baseline, and to obtain measurement of height, weight and body composition using Bioelectrical Impedance (VISIT 2). The primary outcome variable is change in body weight. Secondary outcome of interest are changes in body composition, physical activity, diet, and dieting practice variables. Data analysis will be performed on participants whose measurement of height and weight was obtained during VISIT 1 and VISIT 2. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize baseline characteristics of the subjects. An analysis of covariance will be used with covariates of baseline weight, smoking, baseline physical activity and ethnicity. These variables will be used as covariates because of their known association with body weight changes over time. An analysis of variance will be used to determine whether the change in body weight is different for the first-year female college students living on the main campus compared to first-year female college students living at home. This study will provide important information concerning body weight changes during a key stage of life in early adulthood. If the first year in college is determined as a critical time period for weight changes in females, objectives, interventions and awareness activities could be developed targeting female college students that could be readily generalized to colleges and universities throughout the nation. Similarly, if no significant changes occur, it is important to disperse this information and change the myth about the "freshmen 15". The project will provide preliminary data that can be incorporated into a larger longitudinal project. The project will also provide preliminary data that maybe used to raise awareness.