SEARCHCROSS-SECTIONALpsychiatry, eating_disorders

cross-sectional·psychiatry, eating_disorders, public_health, adolescent_medicine, health_equity·PMC10028297

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Weight Loss Behaviors Among US College Students

Psychology Research and Behavior Management · 4 authors, 1 centre

AI SUMMARY

POPULATION426,425 US college students (mean age 22.5, 68.5% female, 60% White) from the ACHA-NCHA II-C survey (2015-2019)

INTERVENTIONComparison of racial/ethnic groups (White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, AI/AN/NH, Biracial/Multiracial, Other) on weight loss behaviors

COMPARISONWhite students as reference group; comparisons stratified by biological sex

This summary was generated by AI from a single paper. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not clinical advice. Verify against the source before acting on it.

AGENT 01 · STRUCTURED SUMMARY

TRACE TO SOURCE

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TL;DR

This study analyzed data from over 426,000 US college students and found that racial and ethnic minority male students were more likely to engage in extreme weight control behaviors (vomiting, laxatives, diet pills) than White male students, while female minority students were generally less likely to diet and exercise than White female students. Hispanic/Latino and Biracial/Multiracial male students were at particularly high risk across all weight loss methods. These findings highlight the need for culturally tailored eating disorder prevention and intervention programs on college campuses.

Full summary

5,482 CHARS

**Background:** Unhealthy weight loss practices are prevalent among college students and are associated with elevated risk of eating disorders, depression, and adverse health outcomes. While racial and ethnic disparities in weight loss behaviors have been reported, findings have been inconsistent. This study aimed to examine racial and ethnic differences in four weight loss behaviors (exercise, dieting, vomiting/taking laxatives, and diet pill use) among a large, nationally representative sample of US college students, stratified by biological sex.

**Methods:** Data were drawn from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) II-C survey across collection periods from Fall 2015 to Spring 2019. The sample included 426,425 college students aged 18 years or older (mean age = 22.5, SD = 6.091). Most participants were female (68.5%), White (60%), enrolled full-time (92.4%), and attended four-year colleges (94.7%). Racial/ethnic composition included 4.4% Black, 10.5% Biracial/Multiracial, 12.6% Asian, 10.4% Hispanic/Latino, 0.5% American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian (AI/AN/NH), and 1.6% Other. Weight loss behaviors were assessed via yes/no responses to four items about behaviors in the past 30 days. Four separate multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were conducted, controlling for age, BMI, sexual orientation, self-rated health, and enrollment status. Significant interactions between sex and race/ethnicity were probed with sex-stratified analyses.

**Key Results:** Overall, 53.5% of respondents exercised to lose weight, 40.3% dieted, 2.8% vomited or used laxatives, and 2.9% took diet pills. Female students had higher odds than male students of all four behaviors (exercise: OR = 0.532, 95% CI [0.524, 0.539]; diet: OR = 0.566, 95% CI [0.558, 0.575]; vomiting/laxatives: OR = 0.279, 95% CI [0.262, 0.297]; diet pills: OR = 0.450, 95% CI [0.427, 0.473]). Among female students, Black, Hispanic/Latina, Asian, Biracial/Multiracial, and Other students had lower odds of exercising to lose weight than White female students (e.g., Black: OR = 0.550, 95% CI [0.529, 0.571]; Hispanic/Latina: OR = 0.864, 95% CI [0.842, 0.887]). For dieting, Asian female students had higher odds than White female students (OR = 1.052, 95% CI [1.026, 1.079]), while all other minority groups had lower odds. For vomiting/laxatives, Black (OR = 0.719, 95% CI [0.643, 0.804]) and Asian (OR = 0.787, 95% CI [0.732, 0.846]) female students had lower odds than White female students, while Biracial/Multiracial female students had higher odds (OR = 1.081, 95% CI [1.014, 1.153]). For diet pills, Hispanic/Latina (OR = 1.145, 95% CI [1.075, 1.220]) and Biracial/Multiracial (OR = 1.131, 95% CI [1.058, 1.209]) female students had higher odds than White female students, while Asian female students had lower odds (OR = 0.816, 95% CI [0.755, 0.882]).

Among male students, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and Biracial/Multiracial students had higher odds of exercising to lose weight than White male students (Hispanic/Latino: OR = 1.428, 95% CI [1.368, 1.491]; Asian: OR = 1.356, 95% CI [1.310, 1.403]; Biracial/Multiracial: OR = 1.125, 95% CI [1.081, 1.171]), while Black male students had lower odds (OR = 0.705, 95% CI [0.660, 0.753]). For dieting, Hispanic/Latino (OR = 1.230, 95% CI [1.176, 1.285]), Asian (OR = 1.269, 95% CI [1.223, 1.316]), and Biracial/Multiracial (OR = 1.128, 95% CI [1.081, 1.176]) male students had higher odds than White male students, while Black male students had lower odds (OR = 0.620, 95% CI [0.576, 0.667]). For vomiting/laxatives, all minority male groups had higher odds than White male students: Black (OR = 1.876, 95% CI [1.439, 2.447]), Hispanic/Latino (OR = 1.522, 95% CI [1.258, 1.841]), Asian (OR = 1.302, 95% CI [1.091, 1.553]), AI/AN/NH (OR = 4.169, 95% CI [2.542, 6.839]), Biracial/Multiracial (OR = 1.745, 95% CI [1.468, 2.075]), and Other (OR = 2.081, 95% CI [1.471, 2.944]). For diet pills, Black (OR = 1.793, 95% CI [1.468, 2.189]), Hispanic/Latino (OR = 1.589, 95% CI [1.378, 1.832]), AI/AN/NH (OR = 2.638, 95% CI [1.686, 4.126]), Biracial/Multiracial (OR = 1.527, 95% CI [1.327, 1.758]), and Other (OR = 1.536, 95% CI [1.148, 2.055]) male students had higher odds than White male students.

**Clinical Implications:** The findings reveal that male college students from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds are at substantially elevated risk for extreme weight control behaviors compared to White male students, with Hispanic/Latino and Biracial/Multiracial men showing particularly consistent risk across all four behaviors. This pattern suggests that unhealthy weight control behaviors observed in minority adolescents persist into young adulthood. Among female students, the pattern was more complex: minority women were generally less likely to use diet and exercise but showed comparable or elevated risk for extreme behaviors in some groups (e.g., Biracial/Multiracial and Hispanic/Latina women for diet pills). These results underscore the need for culturally sensitive, campus-based prevention and intervention programs that address the unique sociocultural factors affecting different racial/ethnic groups. The study's large, nationally representative sample and inclusion of often-overlooked groups (Biracial/Multiracial, Other) are notable strengths, though limitations include the cross-sectional design, self-report measures, and small effect sizes for some findings.

PICO

PPOPULATION

426,425 US college students (mean age 22.5, 68.5% female, 60% White) from the ACHA-NCHA II-C survey (2015-2019)

IINTERVENTION

Comparison of racial/ethnic groups (White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, AI/AN/NH, Biracial/Multiracial, Other) on weight loss behaviors

OOUTCOME

Four weight loss behaviors in the past 30 days: exercising to lose weight, dieting to lose weight, vomiting or taking laxatives to lose weight, taking diet pills to lose weight

STUDY TYPE

cross-sectional

SPECIALTY

psychiatry

SUMMARISED BY

AI pipeline

FIDELITY CHECK

Not run

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10028297

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Weight Loss Behaviors Among US College Students

Psychology Research and Behavior Management

READ THE FULL PAPER

ABSTRACT

Abstract Purpose Weight loss behaviors are prevalent among college students and are associated with adverse physical and psychological outcomes, such as an elevated risk of developing an eating disorder. While cross-ethnic differences have been reported, no consistent pattern has emerged. The purpose of this study was to examine racial and ethnic differences in weight loss behaviors among female and male college students. Patients and Methods The American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) II-C survey data from the collection periods from 2015 to 2019 was used. A total of 426,425 students participated in the survey. Most participants were White (60%) and female (68.5%). Information on students’ age, body mass index (BMI), and self-rated health was also collected. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine cross-ethnic differences in weight loss methods among female and male students. Results Students’ weight loss behaviors were assessed and included dieting, exercising, vomiting or taking laxatives, and the use of diet pills in the past 30 days. More than half of the participants attempted to lose weight through exercise (53.5%), and 40.3% of students dieted to lose weight in the past month. Purging and the use of diet pills were endorsed by 2.9% and 2.8% of the participants, respectively. With few exceptions, male students from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds were more likely to engage in extreme weight control practices (ie, vomiting or taking laxatives, taking diet pills) than White male students, while female students from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds were less likely to use diet and exercise as weight loss methods than White female students. For all outcomes, Biracial/Multiracial and Hispanic/Latino male students were more likely to attempt weight loss than White male students. Biracial/Multiracial female students more frequently endorsed extreme weight control behaviors than White female students. Conclusion The results of the present study add to the growing body of literature on the relationship between race and ethnicity and weight loss behaviors. The findings indicate the need for tailored educational and intervention programs on college campuses. Keywords: ethnic minority, diet, exercise, diet pills, self-induced vomiting

CITATION EXPORT

Angelina Van Dyne, Nicole Washington, Miguel Villodas et al.. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Weight Loss Behaviors Among US College Students. Psychology Research and Behavior Management. (2023). https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S395357

AUTHORS

4 · 1 CENTRES

Angelina Van Dyne, Nicole Washington, Miguel Villodas, Terry Cronan

1Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA