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Sex Differences in Lifestyle Behaviors among U.S. College Freshmen

Author

Listed:
  • Melissa D. Olfert

    (Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, Division of Animal & Nutritional Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA)

  • Makenzie L. Barr

    (Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, Division of Animal & Nutritional Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA)

  • Camille C. Charlier

    (Clinical & Translational Science, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA)

  • Geoffrey W. Greene

    (Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 125 Fogarty Hall, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA)

  • Wenjun Zhou

    (Department of Business Analytics and Statistics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA)

  • Sarah E. Colby

    (Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA)

Abstract

Within lifestyle behavior research, the sex of populations causes differences in behaviors and outcomes of studies. This cross-sectional study investigated lifestyle behavior patterns in college students, examining sex differences in four areas: Nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and stress. Data from over 1100 college freshmen across 8 United States universities were used for this cross-sectional analysis. Self-reported data assessed fruit and vegetable intake, fat percent intake, physical activity, perceived stress, and sleep quality. Statistical analysis included Pearson chi-squared and Mann–Whitney’s U tests for scores by sex. Likewise, healthy cut-offs were used to determine frequency of participants within range of the five tools. Males reported higher intake of both fruits and vegetables, and percent energy from fat than females. Males also reported higher physical activity levels, lower stress levels, and poorer sleep quality than females. Of the five self-reported tools, males were found to have a larger frequency of participants with healthy ranges than females. In a large college freshmen sample, sex was found to be related to general lifestyle behaviors which strengthen results reported in the previous literature. These findings shed light on the need for lifestyle behavior interventions among at-risk college students to enhance their behaviors to healthy levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Melissa D. Olfert & Makenzie L. Barr & Camille C. Charlier & Geoffrey W. Greene & Wenjun Zhou & Sarah E. Colby, 2019. "Sex Differences in Lifestyle Behaviors among U.S. College Freshmen," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-10, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:3:p:482-:d:204037
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Beata Gavurova & Viera Ivankova & Martin Rigelsky, 2020. "Relationships between Perceived Stress, Depression and Alcohol Use Disorders in University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Socio-Economic Dimension," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-25, November.
    2. Makenzie L. Barr & Jade McNamara, 2022. "Community-Based Participatory Research: Partnering with College Students to Develop a Tailored, Wellness-Focused Intervention for University Campuses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Samira Alfayumi-Zeadna & Lena Gnaim-Abu Touma & Maya Weinreich & Norm O’Rourke, 2022. "COVID-19 and Mental Health of Minority Arab Higher-Education Students in Israel: Social, Economic, and Academic Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-12, October.

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