International Students' Dietary Habits, Physical Activity, and BMI Change During Their First Year of Relocating to the U.S. Público
Rabeeah, Zainab (Spring 2021)
Abstract
Objective: this study aims to identify dietary patterns, physical activity and BMI changes after relocation among international students attending two large urban universities, one public and one private in the southeast of the U.S.
Methods: seventy-five international students answered a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), physical activity table, screen-time and sleep duration questions at baseline (within 10 days of their arrival to the U.S.) and at follow-up (after 3 to 6 months of relocation). Body weight, height and waist circumference were measured at both time points. SAS 9.4 was used to analyze the data and produce descriptive results.
Results: participants (65.3% females and 34.7% males) reported decreased consumption of dairy products and grains after 3 to 6 months relocation (from 4.8 to 3.7 times/week, p-value 0.01 and from 4.8 to 4.5 times/week, p-value 0.006 respectively). There was no statistically significant change in physical activity or BMI among participants after relocation. Thirty-three percent of students gained weight after relocation, while 43% lost weight and 24% maintained their baseline weight. Forty-eight percent of participants had <5% weight changes after relocation. Twenty-one percent of participants gained ≥5% and 6.6% lost ≥5% of their weight. The percentage of students that perceived an increase in their weight after relocation, was 1.4 times the percentage of students who actually gained weight (65% vs. 33%). On the other hand, only 21% of students perceived losing weight while 43% showed measured weight loss. Screen-time significantly increased from 4.2 hours/day at baseline to 7.0 hours/day at follow-up (p-value <0.001). Perceived deterioration in overall health was a concern reported by 73% of the participants due to increased stress and decreased immunity.
Conclusion: these findings emphasize the need to objectively measure changes in body weight as done in the study, because the perception of weight change among international students may not be reflective of true change in their anthropometric measurements. A significant increase in screen-time exposure (p-value<0.001) and reported stress, require further investigation to measure their effects on overall health status among international students.
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………….……(page 4)
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………….…....(page 5-6)
I. INRODUCTION………………………………………………………(page 7-8)
II. LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………….….(page 9-19)
• Determinants of Dietary Habits………………………………....(page 9)
• International Students’ Dietary Behavior……….……………... (page 9-10)
• International Students and Diet Change…………….…………..(page 11-12)
• Physical Activity Levels Among International Students.……….(page 12)
• Sleep Patterns and Health Status…………………………....…...(page 13)
• Screen Time and Health Status………………………………….(page 13-14)
• Weight Change Among International Students………………....(page 14)
• General Health Perception Among International Students……...(page 15)
• Rationale and Research Question……………………………….(page 15-16)
• Description of Conceptual Framework………………………….(page17-18)
• Conceptual Framework/Figure 1………………………………...(page 19)
II. DATA & METHODS …………………………………………………. (page 20-26)
• Study Population and Sampling Frame.……………………....…(page 20)
• Instrument Design…………………………………………….…(page 20-21)
• Ethics Committee Approval………………………………….… (page 21)
• Data Collection……………………………………………….….(page 21-22)
• Methods……………………………………………………….…(page 22-23)
• Variables………………….……………………………………...(page 23-24)
• Analysis………………………………………………………….(page 24-26)
III. Results and Tables ..……………………………………………………..(page 27-47)
• Demographics and Health Characteristics……………………….(page 27-28)
• Table 1…………………………………………………………...(page 29)
• Table 2……………………………………………………….…..(page 31)
• Table 3……………………………………………………….…..(page 32)
• Figure 2………………………………………………………......(page 33)
• Dietary Patterns…………………………………………………..(page 34-37)
• Table 4……………………………………………………...…….(page 35)
• Figure 3………………………………………………….…….....(page 37)
• Figure 4………………………………………………………......(page 38)
• Figure 5…………………………………………………………..(page 40)
• Figure 6…………………………………………...……………...(page 41)
• Physical Activity …………………………………………...……(page 42-45)
• Table 6……………………………………………………..…….(page 44)
• Table 7……………………………………………………….......(page 45)
• Screen-time and Sleeping Patterns ……………………………..(page 46-47)
• Table 8…………………………………………………………..(page 46)
• Health Perception Among International Students ……………...(page 47)
• Table 9 ………………………………………………………….(page 47)
IV. Discussion……………………………………………………………….(page 48-53)
• Dietary Patterns………………………………………………….(page 48-49)
• Health Characteristics……………………………………...........(page 49)
• Physical Activity………………………………………………...(page 49-50)
• Screen-time and Sleeping Patterns………………………………(page 51)
• Health Perception………………………………………………..(page 52)
• Strengths and Limitations……………………………………….(page 53)
V. Conclusion………………………………………………………………(page 54)
VI. Reflections on My Experience ………………………………………….(page 55-56)
VII. Appendix 1………………………………………………………………(page 57)
VIII. Appendix 2………………………………………………………………(page 58)
IX. Appendix 3………………………………………………………………(page 59)
X. References……………………………………………………………….(page 60-62)
About this Master's Thesis
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