A comparison of dietary atherogenicities, energy balance, and physical activity levels of male and female college students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in selected nutrient intakes, dietary atherogenicities, energy balance, and specific physical activity (SPA) as defined between 1.4 and 7.5 Kcal/kg/hr levels between male and female college students. A total of 122 (50 males and 72 females) completed their three-day dietary records. In addition, 89 (36 males and 53 females) of the 122 collected one-day physical activity journals along with one-day dietary records. The mean gram fiber intake was slightly higher for males than those of females, but females had higher values than males when expressed as fiber g/1000Kcal and % dietary goal for fiber. The male had higher fat and cholesterol intakes than did the female, this was probably due to higher intakes of meat for males. Our findings of higher consumption of fat, cholesterol and sugar, lower fiber intakes, and higher atherogenic scores of diets such as Hegsted score and cholesterol index in males than in females, would place our male students at a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. Most students participated in SPA at a light or moderate level (1.4–3.0 or 3.1–5.3 Kcal/kg/hr, respectively). Few students spent time at severe activity (5.4–7.4 Kcal/kg/hr) or very severe activity (7.5 or over Kcal/kg/hr). The male expended on the average more energy (612 Kcal/day) than did the female (348 Kcal/day). We found that 25% of the 89 students were in positive energy balance, whereas 75% were in negative energy balance. Between genders, males had higher energy needs for daily basal metabolic rate (BMR), all physical activities, specific dynamic action (SDA) of food, total energy expenditure (TEE), and total energy intakes than females in both positive and negative energy balance categories. This may reflect gender differences, since males generally have more lean body mass, higher energy needs for all activities, and greater caloric intakes than females. Both genders with positive energy balance had decreased energy needs for BMR, all physical activities, SDA, and TEE, whereas they had increased energy, cholesterol and saturated fat intakes, and higher Hegsted score and cholesterol index than those of their counterparts with negative energy balance. These may lead students with positive energy balance to a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases than students with negative energy balance.