Background/Purpose Many behavior choices for one's adult life are established during the college experience, a time in which health behaviors often change. Multiple health behavior change research examines the relationship of two or more health behaviors in people, and may be a method of providing more effective and efficient health interventions. This study examines the relationship between physical activity patterns, diet, and alcohol consumption in college students in relation to the Transtheoretical Model framework.
Method Data was collected from 321 first year college students from a Midwestern university. Participants completed questionnaires at two time points during their freshmen year of college fifteen weeks apart.
Analysis/Results Most participants did not meet physical activity and diet guidelines at both time points. Alcohol consumption is related to students' exercise and diet patterns, while at the same time exercise and diet behaviors show a significant interaction. The first semester of college produces regressions in health behaviors, as well as readiness to change physical activity, diet, and alcohol consumption patterns.
Conclusions Gaining an understanding of college's effects on these health behaviors, their interrelationships, and students' readiness to change can help produce successful interventions aimed at improving the health of college youth. Given the significant effects each behavior has on the others, multiple health behavior change interventions may be valuable in the college age population to help prevent development of chronic conditions as these students age.