The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

3247.0: Monday, November 17, 2003 - Board 6

Abstract #68097

Use of diet pills among female college students

Vickie L. Sanchez, PhD and Derek R. Holcomb, PhD. Department of Health Promotion and Administration, Eastern Kentucky University, 521 Lancaster Avenue, 420 Begley Building, Richmond, KY 40475, 859-626-5109, vickie.sanchez@eku.edu

During the spring of 2001, 925 undergraduate students from a large southeastern university were randomly selected and mailed a health-behavior survey. Of the 368 students who returned the survey (response rate: 39.7%), 222 (60.5%) were female. Among the 59.5% of these females who reported being overweight, 45% reported that they were considering or had used diet pills to lose weight in the 6 mos. preceding the study. Even among those who reported to be "about the right weight," 29.6% reported that they were considering or had used diet pills in the past 6 mos. Furthermore, the percentage of females considering using diet pills (11.7%) was by far the greatest number of college females contemplating initial use of any drug; and, recent users (20.3%) also represented the greatest number of new users for any drug studied.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Weight Management, Women

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

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The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA