Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109267

Melissa McCracken, MPH, Behavioral Surveillance Branch, Northrop Grumman/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3375 Northeast Expressway, Koger Center/Harvard Building, Atlanta, GA 30341, 678-530-3685, mmccracken@cdc.gov and Ruth Jiles, PhD, Behavioral Surveillance Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, MS K-66, Atlanta, GA 30341.

Preventable health risk behaviors which contribute to the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States are often established in adolescence and extend into early adulthood.

To characterize the health risk behaviors among 18-24 year old U.S. young adults and determine if health risk behaviors among this group differed by Body Mass Index (BMI) categories.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data for the year 2003 were analyzed using SAS and SUDAAN software. Prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for selected health behaviors among 18-24 year old respondents. Young adult respondents were then categorized by their BMI and gender specific comparisons within the overweight (25 kg/m2 °Ü BMI < 30 kg/m2) and obese (BMI °Ý 30 kg/m2) categories were made.

Only 21.6% of young adults consumed the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, 30.1% were at risk for binge drinking and 11.9% reported frequent mental distress. The prevalence of overweight and obese among 18-24 year olds was 26.1% (95%CI=24.9-27.3) and 13.6% (95%CI=12.7-14.5), respectively. Among the overweight and obese adults who were attempting to lose or maintain their weight, 6.5% (95%CI=5.4-7.8) and 23.5% (95%CI=20.6-26.7), respectively, reported having received professional advice to lose weight. A significantly (p<.05) greater percentage of females in both the overweight and obese categories were trying to lose weight and reported having frequent mental distress compared to males.

Young adults have a variety of specific health risk behaviors. Differences in health risk behaviors are also observed when young adults are categorized by BMI.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the learner in this session will be able to

• Develop an understanding of how Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data can be utilized to determine health behaviors of specific populations.
• Identify the health risk behaviors reported by the U.S. young adult population.
• Recognize that gender specific health risk behaviors exist when young adults are classified and evaluated by Body Mass Index (BMI) categories.

Keywords: Youth, Health Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.