Friendship as a social mechanism influencing body mass index (BMI) among emerging adults.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Social relationships have been proposed as a significant factor shaping obesity risk. The first year of college, a period of major social, behavioral, and weight changes, provides a context well-suited to tracking longitudinally the impact of shifting friendships on weight outcomes. This study sought to identify social mechanisms impacting BMI change among emerging adults. METHODS:An analytic sample of 276 college students (71.0% female, 52.2% non-White) provided repeated reports of relationships and BMI was measured up to four times during 2015-2016. Stochastic actor-oriented models were used to examine change in BMI through social influence and change in friendships over time, controlling for sex and race/ethnicity. RESULTS:At baseline, mean BMI was 24.2±4.5 kg/m2. Overall, me

SUBMITTER: Bruening M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6298660 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature