Date of Graduation

5-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Human Environmental Science (MS)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

General Human Environmental Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Jennifer Becnel

Committee Member

Sabrina Trudo

Second Committee Member

Amanda Williams

Keywords

Alcohol Consumption, Diet, Drunkorexia, Exercise, Health Behaviors, Health Promotion, Lifestyle Profiles, Young Adults

Abstract

As individuals enter adulthood, their lifestyles and lifestyle behaviors begin to change drastically. These lifestyle behavior changes in emerging adulthood provide a foundation for future health behaviors that often persist through all of adulthood. The aim of this study was to use Latent profile analyses (LPA) to discover distinct profiles of homogenous groups of young adults based on alcohol, diet, and exercise behaviors. Overall, five distinct profiles for both males and females were identified: Moderates, Unhealthy Eaters, Medium Drinkers, Healthier Eaters and Exercisers, and Heavy Drinkers. Heavy Drinkers and Unhealthy Eaters were the highest risk groups and reported the highest number of days where their mental and physical health was poor. Medium Drinkers also reported more days where their mental health was poor relative to the Healthier Eaters and Exercisers. Future work should examine the motivations of individuals falling into these groups to identify mechanisms to intervene in order to promote healthy lifestyles as these young adults move into adulthood.

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