Identifying methods used to manage weight and shape by first year university students: A qualitative analysis.

Autor: Generoso RA; Central Michigan University College of Medicine, 1280 East Campus Drive, Mount Pleasant, MI 48858, USA. Electronic address: gener1ra@cmich.edu., Bauer KW; University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. Electronic address: kwbauer@umich.edu., Sonneville KR; University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. Electronic address: kendrins@umich.edu., Hahn SL; Central Michigan University College of Medicine, 1280 East Campus Drive, Mount Pleasant, MI 48858, USA. Electronic address: hahn4sl@cmich.edu.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Eating behaviors [Eat Behav] 2024 Apr; Vol. 53, pp. 101885. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 May 17.
DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2024.101885
Abstrakt: Objective: To identify current strategies used by first-year university students to lose weight, maintain weight, or change their body shape.
Methods: First-year university students (n = 661) completed an open-ended, web-based survey. Cross-sectional data were analyzed qualitatively using a reflexive thematic approach to identify strategies used to lose weight, maintain weight, or alter body shape/composition. Thematic maps were constructed for each weight- and shape-related goal.
Results: Four main types of strategies were used to achieve all three weight or shape-related goals among first-year college students: changes in diet, changes in exercise, self-monitoring, and disordered eating. One behavioral strategy observed across all weight-related goals was prioritizing protein consumption, including protein gained from supplementation. However, there were also differences in strategies by weight- or shape-related goal. For example, only participants aiming to lose or maintain weight reported mindful strategies for monitoring diet. Individuals aiming to alter body composition reported heterogeneity in goal-related intentions, targeting specific body parts through exercise, and extensive supplement use.
Conclusions: First-year college students use a variety of strategies to manage their weight and shape. Some strategies were observed across goals, whereas others are specific to the weight- or shape-related goal. More research is needed to understand the impacts, both positive and negative, of using the strategies identified in the present study.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Katherine W. Bauer reports financial support was provided by University of Michigan Michigan Nutrition Obesity Research Center. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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