Exploring Health Practices among Undergraduate University Students

Alaska is among the US states in which adult obesity has reached rates of over 20% and the combined adult overweight/obesity rate has exceeded 60%. Overweight and obesity are not simply an adult issue for the US or for the state of Alaska. The transition between high-school and college has been documented as a high-risk period for weight problems. The purpose of this study was to collect anthropometric and related psychosocial data from UAA college students aged 18 and 19. Participants were weighed and measured to ascertain their body mass index and body fat percentage and completed several psychosocial measures. A total of 212 (62% female) student volunteers participated in the study. Anthropometric findings for females included: weight (M=147.5, SD=33.4), body mass index (M=24.6, SD=4.7), and body fat percentage (M=32.0, SD=7.6). Findings for males included: weight (M=172.8, SD=33.4), body mass index (M=24.7, SD=5.1), and body fat percentage (M=18.9, SD=8.4). When utilizing the BMI to determine weight status, results suggest that weight is a concern for UAA students. Eighteen percent of the females were categorized as overweight, 11% as obese, and 2% as extremely obese; 20% of the males were categorized as overweight, 10% as obese, and 2% as extremely obese. Body fat percentages suggest that over 41% of the sample ranges from overweight to obese. These findings substantiate concerns regarding the physical health of UAA freshman and support the need for developing effective policy for UAA to address the health issues of students embarking on university life.