Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in US College Students: A Pre-post Test Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Behavior
• Metabolic Health

Background:

• Rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes among college students necessitate understanding contributing factors.
• Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) poses significant health risks, particularly in young adult populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between MetS knowledge, stress, coping resources, and changes in MetS risk factors in college students.
• To compare health outcomes between first-time on-campus students and final-year students.

Main Methods:

• A 16-week pre-post study design involving 43 undergraduate students.
• Assessment of Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure, MetS knowledge, perceived stress, and coping resources.
• Statistical analysis using mixed-effects linear regression and independent samples t-tests.

Main Results:

• No significant associations were found between MetS risk factor changes and MetS knowledge, perceived stress, or coping resources.
• First-time on-campus students exhibited significantly greater increases in BMI and weight gain compared to final-year students.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary findings indicate that first-time college students may have poorer MetS risk factor profiles.
• Further research is required to elucidate the mechanisms behind these adverse health outcomes in first-time college students.