Body mass and fatness of Japanese college women and relationship to place of residence.

Abstract

Aim: The objectives of the present study are to examine prevalence of overweight, underweight, and overfat and underfat in Japanese college women and to determine if and how living arrangements during college were related.

Methods: During 1997-2004, 1757 female college students (18-23 years) in an urban city in Japan were measured for height, weight and body fatness. They completed a demographic questionnaire identifying place of residence.

Results: Nearly three times as many women were underweight as were overweight from 1997 to 2004, but 33.8% were overfat and only 1.8% underfat. The mean percentage body fat (25.6 [+ or -] 5.2%) was similar to that of other similarly aged Japanese college women, but exceeded that of Japanese teenagers and young adults in several other studies. Despite no difference in BMI by place of residence, those students who lived alone in an apartment or lived in a dormitory had significantly higher percentage of body fatness (n = 493, 26.1 [+ or -] 5.6% vs. n = 577, 25.7 [+ or -] 5.1%, respectively) compared with those living with their family (n = 524, 24.8 [+ or -] 4.7%).

Conclusions: The high prevalence of underweight in college women concurrent with increasing body fatness might be cause for concern. Women who lived alone had the highest adiposity.

Key words: body mass index, fatness, health, young adult.

INTRODUCTION

Obesity is increasing worldwide, and countries of the Pacific Rim are no exception to this growing trend. (1) The many life transitions that occur during young adulthood can contribute to, or defend against, increases in obesity. (2-4) The late adolescence period of leaving high school and entry into college or university is often accompanied by changes in diet, physical activity, living arrangement and social contacts. (2,5) Many older youth in Japan change their housing arrangement and start to live alone when they begin college or employment. (6) Changes in place of residence might influence daily food habits and/or physical activity and influence body composition and health. (2-4)

Few studies have examined the relation of housing to body composition, and those studies, mostly with animals, have focused on the effects of temperature or group housing. (7,8) In one study of college students living on and off campus, Brevard and Ricketts found that those off campus had higher intakes of protein and higher serum lipid levels, but no difference in physical activity. (2) It is interesting that more studies have not examined the relation of housing to body composition, because so many college women have concerns about gaining weight. In North America, this weight gain has gained notoriety as the 'freshman fifteen' in terms of the 15 pounds of weight (6.8 kg) often gained during the first year in college. (9,10)

College women are an important target group for several reasons. First, they are typically the most concerned about appearance and at high risk for disordered eating. (5,11,12) Second, in future family roles, Japanese women are still the ones with primary responsibility for food and health care.

In a recent study of female and male university students from 22 countries, Wardle et al. explored the associations between body mass index (BMI; kg/[m.sup.2]), weight perceptions and attempts to lose weight. (13) Women from Asian countries had lower average body weights of about 50 kg compared with 55-65 kg for young women from other countries. These Asian women also reported the greatest perception of overweight and made the greatest number of attempts to lose weight. The low body weight of Asian women is an anomaly compared with college or young adult women from other parts of the world, suggesting that local culture and social norms might play an important role in weight control behaviour. (13,14) During the past 40 years, the number of women dieting for a slim body has increased in Japan. (12-14) Although there is no evidence of increased physical activity for weight management, there has been an increase in smoking. (14) Of further interest is that a secondary analysis of national Japanese survey data from 1976 to 2000 by Takimoto et al. found that, among young women (aged 15-29 years), the secular trends in BMI had declined; this age group had the highest prevalence of thinness. (14) Indeed, Japanese young adult women are becomingly increasingly at risk for disordered eating with such focus on low body weights. (12,15)

Given the twin concerns of obesity versus extreme thinness and need for development of good health habits, we considered it important to examine the relation of residence with the assumed concomitant lifestyle changes on body composition. The purpose of the present study was to examine the prevalence of obesity and underweight among young adult Japanese women, as well as to examine trends over time. A second purpose was to examine the relationship of place of residence to the BMI and body fatness in a sample of Japanese college women.

METHODS

Subjects and recruitment

Subjects were recruited from a two-year women's college located in a medium-size city one hour west of Tokyo, Japan. All women at the college majored in either Business or English. Participants in the present study were recruited from all the students enrolled in an elective course from 1997 to 2004 (taken by 65% of women at the college) entitled 'Health for Contemporary Society'. Both the course instructor (MS) and the course syllabus provided the details for participation in the present study. Nearly all students completed the questionnaire and subsequent physical measurements. The subjects were 1757 Japanese college women, primarily in their first year of college.

Procedures

First, the chief director of the university and the president of the college approved the present study in order to benefit students' health via receiving personalised results. The director and president reviewed the protocols, procedures and materials, because no formal institutional review board existed at that time. All published data were reported as required only on a group basis without names attached. After enrolling in the course and reviewing the syllabus, participating students completed a short survey that included an identification number, the date, their year in college, date of birth, height and current housing situation. Place of residence was identified categorically as: (i) living with family; (ii) living in a dormitory; (iii) living alone in an apartment; and (iv) other arrangements, such as a relative's home. During the second week of class, the course instructor (MS), trained in anthropometrics, measured each participant. All data were recorded in the first semester, beginning early April, or second semester, beginning mid-September.

Anthropometric data

Anthropometric variables of interest were height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) and per cent body fat. Subjects were measured following standardised procedures. (16) Height was measured in cm using a stadiometer (Takei S.I. Co. Ltd, Niigata, Japan) to the nearest 10th of a centimeter. Weight was measured in kg using the TBF-305 analyser (TANITA Inc., Tokyo, Japan) to the nearest 10th of a kilogram. The average of the weight of clothing worn was determined from the measurement of 12 students both with and without clothes. The average weight of clothing was 0.99 [+ or -] 0.23, so 1 kg was the amount deducted from each participant's body weight. BMI was calculated as body weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared.

Adiposity was determined using the bio-impedance analysis (BIA) method (17-19) with the TBF-305 analyser. The subject stood on the device with the soles of the feet bare and separately touching each electrode plate. Bio-impedance was detected using the foot-to-foot or leg-to-leg BIA system. Each subject's data were entered as mode (adult), sex (female) and height (cm). Validity of this BIA method to detect adiposity has been established in comparison with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (n = 40, r = 0.94, P < 0.001). (18)

Analysis

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows (version 12.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data analyses, which included descriptive statistics (frequencies, mean [+ or -] SD), analysis of variance (ANOVA for multiple comparisons, Bonferroni method), Pearson's correlation and chi-square method for trends and comparisons. The level of significance selected was P < 0.05. The percentages of women below three BMI cutpoints for underweight of 16, 17 and 18.5 (used in Japan) were used, as well as those over three BMI cutpoints for overweight of 23, 25 (used in Japan) and 30. The first three and last two cutpoints are those that the World Health Organisation (WHO) expert consultation on Appropriate BMI for Asian populations (1) recommended for use in international classifications. The WHO recommended the BMI cutpoint of 23 for Asian populations, (1) although Japan currently uses the cutpoint of 25 (20) and this was the cuptoint selected for overweight in the present study. BMI data from college women in the present study were compared with those from 15- to 19-year-olds and with 20- to 29-year-olds from the National Nutrition Survey in Japan (6) who had BMIs of 20.9 [+ or -] 3.3 and 20.7 [+ or -] 3.1, respectively.

No consensus exists on the best cutpoints for per cent over- and underfat, so those developed by TANITA on a sample of Japanese women were used. (21) The percentages of women who were underfat or overfat were determined using the TANITA-defined cutpoints for adult women of 17% and 27% fat, respectively. Finally, the percentages of college women who were underfat and underweight or both overfat and overweight were reported for comparison.

RESULTS

Of the 1757 female students (18.5 [+ or -] 0.7 years) who enrolled in the course between 1997 and 2004, 69 failed to indicate residence. Subjects were mainly first-year students (86.6%), but 236 senior students were also measured. The subjects measured in the first half (April) versus the second half (September) of the school year were 1047 and 710 students, respectively. About one-third of the participants were members of sports clubs.

Weight, BMI and per cent body fat according to age (18-20 year) are shown in Table 1. The percentage of body fat in 20-year-old women (26.7 [+ or -] 6.5%, mean [+ or -] SD) was significantly higher compared to women aged 18 years (25.4 [+ or -] 5.0%, P = 0.034) using ANOVA for the multiple comparisons (Bonferroni method). The overall correlation of BMI with per cent body fat was r = 0.922 (P < 0.001). The anthropometric data for 18- and 19-years-olds were examined for school years 1997-2002 and 2004 (Table 2) (data were unavailable for 2003). Nearly three times as many students were underweight (15.1%) as were overweight (6.0%), both overall and throughout this period. When those participants who were underfat and overfat were compared, the results were in the opposite direction. About one-third (33.8%) of the students were overfat and only 1.8% were underfat. About half of those who were overfat were of normal weight. Nearly all those overweight were also overfat. Over time there were no significant differences in average height, weight, BMI and body fat, but there were increases in the percentage of women with low body fat and declines in those with high body fat. The subjects' anthropometric measurements by place of residence are shown in Table 3. Although the data for BMIs did not differ by residence, students who lived alone in apartments or who lived in dormitories had higher average percentages of body fat, compared with those who lived with their families. The percentages of students who lived with their family or lived in the dormitory decreased as the percentages living alone increased over the years (data not shown).

DISCUSSION

The high prevalence of women underweight compared with the low prevalence of overweight is disturbing, but supported by another study. A secondary analysis of national data showed Japanese women to be at high risk for increasing thinness over the past 25 years (1976-2000), with the trends most pronounced in urban versus more rural areas. (14) The mean BMI values in the present study were similar to those for young women in the National Nutrition Survey in Japan. (22)

The percentage body fat for women in the present study was also similar to that of 155 college women aged 20 years in southern Japan measured by bioelectrical impedance (25.8 [+ or -] 4.7%), (23) and to that of 605 college women aged 20 years in a northern suburb of Tokyo measured by underwater weighing method (24.9 [+ or -] 4.9%). (24) The mean percentage of body fat of the college women measured by BIA in the present study exceeded that of Japanese teenagers and young adults in several other studies reported in 2002. (25,26)

This is the first study to show that college women in Japan who live alone had higher percentage body fat compared with those who live at home, although there was no difference in mean BMI and few women were overweight. There are some obvious lifestyle differences between the three residential environments. While living at home, women are more likely to enjoy regular, family meals and commute to classes by walking and public transportation. The food in dormitories on this university campus is somewhat controlled via pre-portioned meals. Dormitory life, however, does permit students the freedom to cook on their own or eat and drink while studying at night. The differences in adiposity by residence in the present study must be interpreted within the larger context of young Japanese women becoming thinner, especially in urban areas, (14) as well as the potential for social influences to influence eating and weight control behaviours. (27)

The relation between BMI and per cent body fat deserves special mention, because it has been well documented that Asians, including those in Japan, generally have a higher per cent of body fat compared with Caucasians of the same age, sex and BMI (1). Low BMI might not mean low body fat, especially in Asian populations, (28) and we found that few of those with low BMI also had low body fat, whereas nearly two-thirds of those with high BMI had high body fat. One recent study of college women in Japan reported many women of low and normal BMI restricting calories to lose weight. (29) The smoking prevalence nearly doubled for young Japanese women from 1990 to 2000. (14) Thus, there might well be serious public health implications of women attempting to maintain a low body weight without increased physical activity.

A major strength of the present study was that a single trained investigator conducted all the measurements, eliminating interobserver error. Also, research quality instruments were used for all measurements. The data were subject to little nonresponse bias, because nearly all students consented to be measured. Some limitations of this research were the inability to investigate lifestyle and social influences on food intake, physical activity and weight control behaviours. It would have been interesting to examine food and physical activity patterns, as well as smoking habits, in relation to anthropometric measurements. No details were available on how long each student had been living alone, which could have varied from one month to more than one year, nor on their socioeconomic status. Additionally, it must be recognised that the accuracy of BMI as a measure of adiposity can vary according to the degree of fatness, and that BIA itself has limitations to predict fatness. (30)

IMPLICATIONS

Increased fatness within a change in residence for young women within a social milieu which values thinness could have serious implications for increased risk of disordered eating in young Japanese women, especially when more women are underweight as are overweight. The relation between increased fatness, in the absence of high body weight, and the risk for disordered eating has not been sufficiently explored and needs further research. Today, in Japan many young adults change their housing arrangement and begin living alone when they start college or employment, and such changes in residence and lifestyle are likely to influence daily food and physical activity habits. Universities have an important role to assist young adults transition into adulthood wherein regular physical activity and healthy dietary habits are practised after leaving home. University environments and programs should promote healthful daily physical activity and food habits to ensure the health of educated young adults who compromise both productive and reproductive potential of society.

REFERENCES

1 WHO Expert Consultation. Appropriate body mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet 2004; 363: 157-63.

2 Brevard PB, Ricketts CD. Residence of college students affects dietary intake, physical activity, and serum lipid levels. J Am Diet Assoc 1996; 96: 35-8.

3 Lau RR, Quadrel MJ, Hartman KA. Development and change of young adults' preventive health beliefs and behavior: influence from parents and peers. J Health Soc Behav 1990; 31: 240-59.

4 Georgiou CC, Betts NM, Hoerr SL et al. Among young adults, college students and graduates practiced more healthful habits and made more healthful food choices than did nonstudents. J Am Diet Assoc 1997; 97: 754-9.

5 Heatherton TF, Nichols P, Mahamedi F, Keel P. Body weight, dieting, and eating disorder symptoms among college students, 1982 to 1992. Am J Psychiatry 1995; 152: 1623-9.

6 Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications . Statistic Bureau. Director-General for Policy Planning and Statistical Research and Training Institute. Population Census 2000. 2000. (Cited 26 Jun 2006.) Available from URL: http://www.stat.go.jp/data/kokusei/2000/kako/setai/zuhyou/se0701.xls

7 Kontani Y, Wang Y, Kimura K et al. UCP1 deficiency increases susceptibility to diet-induced obesity with age. Aging Cell 2005; 4: 147-55.

8 Nagy TR, Krzywanski D, Li J, Meleth S, Desmond R. Effect of group vs. single housing on phenotypic variance in C57BL/6J mice. Obes Res 2002; 10: 412-15.

9 Edwards JSA, Meiselman HL. Changes in dietary habits during the first year at university. Br Nutr Found Nutr Bull 2003; 28: 21-34.

10 Anderson DA, Shapiro JR, Lundgren JD. The freshman year of college as a critical period for weight gain: an initial evaluation. Eat Behav 2003; 4: 363-7.

11 Fisher M, Schneider M, Burns J, Symons H, Mandel FS. Differences between adolescents and young adults at presentation to an eating disorders program. J Adolesc Health 2001; 28: 222-7.

12 Kiriike N, Nagata T, Sirata K, Yamamoto N. Are young women in Japan at high risk for eating disorders? Decreased BMI in young females from 1960 to 1995. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 1998; 52: 279-81.

13 Wardle J, Haase AM, Steptoe A. Body image and weight control in young adults: international comparisons in university students from 22 countries. Int J Obes 2005; 6: 1-8.

14 Takimoto H, Yoshiike N, Kaneda F, Yoshita K. Thinness among young Japanese women. Am J Public Health 2004; 94: 1592-5.

15 Tomotake M, Okura M, Taniguchi T, Ishimoto Y. Traits of irrational beliefs related to eating problems in Japanese college women. J Med Invest 2002; 49: 51-5.

16 Roche AF, Heimsfield SB, Lohman TG, eds. Human Body Composition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1996.

17 Sato T. Bio-electrical impedance analysis method. Nippon Rinsho; Jpn J Clin Med 1995; 53: 179-82.

18 Pietrobelli A, Rubiano F, St-Onge MP, Heymsfield SB. New bioimpedance analysis system: improved phenotyping with whole-body analysis. Eur J Clin Nutr 2004; 58: 1479-84.

19 Nunez C, Gallagher D, Visser M, Pi-Sunyer FX, Wang Z, Heymsfield SB. Bioimpedance analysis: evaluation of leg-to-leg system based on pressure contact foot-pad electrodes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1997; 29: 524-31.

20 The Editorial Board of the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity. [Manual for Controlling Obesity, 2nd edn.] Tokyo: Ishiyaku Shuppan Publishing, 2001. (In Japanese)

21 TANITA Company. TANITA Instruction Manual for TBF-305 Body Composition Analyzer for Adults. Tokyo, Japan: TANITA Inc., 1996.

22 Research group for Health and Nutrition Information. [Nutritional Status of Japanese: Results of 2003 Survey.] Tokyo: Daiichi Shuppan Publishing, 2005. (In Japanese)

23 Kitano T, Kitano N, Inomoto T, Futatsuka M. Evaluation of body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, skinfold thickness and bioelectrical impedance analysis in Japanese female college students. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol 2001; 47: 122-5.

24 Yamagishi H, Kitano T, Kuchiki T, Okazaki H, Shibata S. Association between body composition and body mass index in young Japanese women. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol 2002; 48: 201-6.

25 Tahara Y, Moji K, Aoyagi K et al. Age-related pattern of body density and body composition in Japanese males and females, 11 and 18 years of age. Am J Hum Biol 2002; 14: 327-37.

26 Tahara Y, Moji K, Aoyagi K, Tsunawake N, Muraki S, M-Taylor CGN. Age-related pattern of body density and body composition of Japanese men and women 18-59 years of age. Am J Hum Biol 2002; 14: 743-52.

27 Hoerr SL, Bokram R, Lugo B, Bivins T, Keast DR. Risk for disordered eating relates to both gender and ethnicity for college students. J Am Coll Nutr 2002; 21: 307-14.

28 Hsieh SD, Muto T. Metabolic syndrome in Japanese men and women with special reference to the anthropometric criteria for the assessment of obesity: proposal to use the waist-to-height ratio. Prev Med 2006; 42: 135-9.

29 Osako M, Takayama T, Kira S. [Dietary habits, attitudes toward weight control, and subjective symptoms of fatigue in young women in Japan]. Nippon Koshu Eisei Zasshi 2005; 52: 387-98. (In Japanese)

30 Freedman DS, Khan LK, Serdula MK, Dietz WH, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS. The relation of childhood BMI to adult adiposity: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics 2005; 115: 22-7.

Masatoshi SUZUKI, (1) Megumi MURASHIMA (2) and Sharon L. HOERR (2)

(1) Department of Contemporary Business Management, Soka Women's College, Tokyo, Japan; and (2) Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA

M. Suzuki, MS, Professor

M. Murashima, MS, Graduate student

S. L. Hoerr, PhD, RD, FACN, Professor

Correspondence: Dr S.L. Hoerr, 204 G Trout Building, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Email: [e-mail]

Table 1 Anthropometric measurements (mean [+ or -] SD) of college women
by age

                                    Age
                    18 years                 19 years

n                   1043                     589
Height (cm)          158.2 [+ or -] 5.4      158.2 [+ or -] 5.1
Weight (kg)           51.8 [+ or -] 7.2       52.3 [+ or -] 7.1
BMI (kg/[m.sup.2])    20.7 [+ or -] 2.5       20.9 [+ or -] 2.6
Body fat (%)          25.4 [+ or -] 5.0 (a)   25.6 [+ or -] 5.1

                    Age
                    20 years                Total

n                   111                     1743
Height (cm)         158.2 [+ or -] 5.1       158.2 [+ or -] 5.3
Weight (kg)          53.2 [+ or -] 7.6        52.0 [+ or -] 7.2
BMI (kg/[m.sup.2])   21.3 [+ or -] 3.0        20.8 [+ or -] 2.6
Body fat (%)         26.7 [+ or -] 6.5 (b)    25.6 [+ or -] 5.2

(a),(b) Values with different superscripts are significantly different
from each other at P = 0.034.
BMI = body mass index.

Table 2 Change in anthropometric measurements (mean [+ or -] SD) of 18-
and 19-year-old college women and percentage overweight and/or overfat,
1997-2004

                                            Year
                                   1997            1998

n                                  335             162
Height (cm)                        158.5 [+ or -]  158.3 [+ or -]
                                     5.3             5.1
Weight (kg)                         52.1 [+ or -]   52.9 [+ or -]
                                      6.7             8.9
BMI (kg/[m.sup.2])                  21.7 [+ or -]   21.2 [+ or -]
                                      2.4             3.2
Body fat (%)                        25.6 [+ or -]   26.0 [+ or -]
                                      4.8             5.9
% of the subjects
BMI
  <16.0                              0.0             1.9
  <17.0                              3.0             1.9
  <18.5                             15.5            16.0
  [greater than or equal to]23.0    14.9            20.4
  [greater than or equal to]25.0     5.4            11.1
  [greater than or equal to]30.0     0.6             2.5
Body fat
  <17.0%                             0.9             2.5
  [greater than or equal to]27.0%   36.1            40.1
Both UW (a) and UF (b)               0.9             2.5
Both OW (c) and OF (d)              14.9            18.5
NW (e) and OF (d)                   21.2            21.6

                                            Year
                                   1999            2000

n                                  254             264
Height (cm)                        158.5 [+ or -]  158.3 [+ or -]
                                     5.5             5.1
Weight (kg)                         51.7 [+ or -]   52.5 [+ or -]
                                      6.8             7.5
BMI (kg/[m.sup.2])                  20.6 [+ or -]   20.9 [+ or -]
                                      2.4             2.6
Body fat (%)                        25.1 [+ or -]   25.8 [+ or -]
                                      5.0             5.0
% of the subjects
BMI
  <16.0                              0.8             0.0
  <17.0                              2.9             4.4
  <18.5                             15.0            13.3
  [greater than or equal to]23.0    12.2            15.2
  [greater than or equal to]25.0     3.1             6.8
  [greater than or equal to]30.0     0.4             0.4
Body fat
  <17.0%                             3.1             1.5
  [greater than or equal to]27.0%   31.9            33.3
Both UW (a) and UF (b)               2.8             1.5
Both OW (c) and OF (d)              12.2            14.4
NW (e) and OF (d)                   19.7            18.9

                                             Year
                                   2001            2002

n                                  317             209
Height (cm)                        157.8 [+ or -]  158.0 [+ or -]
                                     5.1             5.3
Weight (kg)                         51.6 [+ or -]   51.7 [+ or -]
                                      7.0             7.1
BMI (kg/[m.sup.2])                  20.7 [+ or -]   20.7 [+ or -]
                                      2.5             2.6
Body fat (%)                        25.7 [+ or -]   25.2 [+ or -]
                                      4.8             5.5
% of the subjects
BMI
  <16.0                              0.9             0.5
  <17.0                              1.2             1.9
  <18.5                             16.4            14.8
  [greater than or equal to]23.0    17.7            14.4
  [greater than or equal to]25.0     6.9             5.3
  [greater than or equal to]30.0     0.0             1.0
Body fat
  <17.0%                             0.9             1.4
  [greater than or equal to]27.0%   34.4            31.6
Both UW (a) and UF (b)               0.9             1.0
Both OW (c) and OF (d)              17.4            13.9
NW (e) and OF (d)                   17.0            17.7

                                   Year
                                   2004            Total

n                                   91             1632
Height (cm)                        158.2 [+ or -]   158.2 [+ or -]
                                     5.6              5.3
Weight (kg)                         50.6 [+ or -]    51.9 [+ or -]
                                      6.0              7.2
BMI (kg/[m.sup.2])                  20.3 [+ or -]    20.8 [+ or -]
                                      2.2              2.5
Body fat (%)                        24.3 [+ or -]    25.5 [+ or -]
                                      4.6              5.1
% of the subjects
BMI
  <16.0                              1.1              0.6
  <17.0                              3.1              2.4
  <18.5                             13.2             15.1
  [greater than or equal to]23.0     9.9             15.3
  [greater than or equal to]25.0     3.3              6.0
  [greater than or equal to]30.0     1.1              0.7
Body fat
  <17.0%                             4.4              1.8
  [greater than or equal to]27.0%   24.2             33.8
Both UW (a) and UF (b)               4.4              1.7
Both OW (c) and OF (d)               9.9             14.8
NW (e) and OF (d)                   14.3             19.0

(a) Underweight (UW): BMI < 18.5. (20)
(b) Underfat (UF): body fat < 17.0%.
(c) Overweight (OW): BMI [greater than or equal to] 23. (20)
(d) Overfat (OF): body fat [greater than or equal to] 27.0%.
(e) Normal weight (NW): BMI = 18.5 < 23.
BMI = body mass index.

Table 3 Anthropometrics (mean [+ or -] SD) of subjects by place of
residence

                          Place of residence
                    With family         Dormitory

n                   524                 577
Age (years)          18.5 [+ or -] 0.7   18.4 [+ or -] 0.6
Height (cm)         158.2 [+ or -] 5.4  158.1 [+ or -] 5.1
Weight (kg)          51.8 [+ or -] 6.9   52.0 [+ or -] 6.9
BMI (kg/[m.sup.2])   20.7 [+ or -] 2.4   20.8 [+ or -] 2.6
Body fat (%)         24.8 [+ or -] 4.7   25.7 [+ or -] 5.1 (b)
% underweight (d)    15.8                14.0
% overweight (e)      5.5                 5.5

                     Place of residence
                    Living alone    Other           Total (a)

n                   493              94             1688
Age (years)          18.6 [+ or -]   18.4 [+ or -]    18.5 [+ or -]
                       0.7             0.6              0.7
Height (cm)         158.2 [+ or -]  158.9 [+ or -]   158.2 [+ or -]
                      5.2             5.3              5.2
Weight (kg)          52.1 [+ or -]   52.3 [+ or -]    52.0 [+ or -]
                       7.8             7.5              7.2
BMI (kg/[m.sup.2])   20.9 [+ or -]   20.7 [+ or -]    20.8 [+ or -]
                       2.7             2.7              2.6
Body fat (%)         26.1 [+ or -]   25.6 [+ or -]    25.5 [+ or -]
                       5.6 (c)         5.5              5.2
% underweight (d)    15.8            19.1             15.4
% overweight (e)       6.7             7.4              6.0

(a) A total of 1688 of 1757 subjects indicated their place of residence.
(b) Significantly higher than subjects who lived with family by ANOVA
for multiple comparisons (P = 0.031).
(c) Significantly higher than subjects who lived with family by ANOVA
for multiple comparisons (P = 0.001).
(d) Percentage of students with BMI < 18.5. (20)
(e) Percentage of students with BMI [greater than or equal to] 25. (20)
BMI = body mass index.