Revisiting the freshman "15": assessing body mass index in the first college year and beyond.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine body mass index (BMI) of college freshmen and compare with BMI in senior or graduate year of school.

Data Sources: A convenience sample was drawn from health records of students at a small private university in the northeast United States. BMIs were calculated for those students who had an admission physical examination with documented height and weight and a subsequent physical examination in senior or graduate year. Descriptive statistics and a paired t-test were performed. No significant difference was determined statistically between admission BMI and BMI in later years. The rate of overweight and obese students rose from 25.6% to 32% in the time interval between freshman and senior or graduate year.

Conclusions: Those students who entered college with BMIs considered to be overweight or obese generally were still overweight or obese in the later college years in this population.

Implications For Practice: Nurse practitioners in college health and in private practice who assess traditional college-age young adults are in a position to provide education about healthy eating habits, weight loss strategies, and community resources as well as to monitor weights and provide support.