Gender differences in the associations among body mass index, weight loss, exercise, and drinking among college students. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • OBJECTIVE: To explore gender differences regarding weight management behaviors of college drinkers. PARTICIPANTS: Nationally representative sample of college students from the fall 2008 American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment II (N = 26,062 students). METHODS: Structural equation modeling was used to examine potential gender differences in associations among exercise, weight loss behaviors, and alcohol use. RESULTS: Critical ratio tests revealed that associations between exercise and weight loss behaviors were more strongly correlated among females as compared with males. For females, there was a small negative association between exercise and drinking behaviors; in contrast, for males, there was a positive relationship between exercise and alcohol use. Weight loss behaviors were positively associated with drinking for both female and male students; however, the association was significantly stronger for females. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation furthers previous research on drunkorexia and also sheds additional light on the gender-based differences in weight management behaviors of drinkers.

published proceedings

  • J Am Coll Health

author list (cited authors)

  • Barry, A. E., Whiteman, S., Piazza-Gardner, A. K., & Jensen, A. C.

citation count

  • 41

complete list of authors

  • Barry, Adam E||Whiteman, Shawn||Piazza-Gardner, Anna K||Jensen, Alexander C

publication date

  • October 2013