Changes in physical activity, diet, and body weight across the education and employment transitions of early adulthood: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Summary Early adulthood is a time when individuals go through important life transitions, such as moving from high school into higher education or employment, but the impact of these life transitions on changes in body weight, diet, and physical activity is not known. We searched six electronic data...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Obesity reviews 2020-04, Vol.21 (4), p.e12962-n/a
Main Authors: Winpenny, Eleanor M., Smith, Miranda, Penney, Tarra, Foubister, Campbell, Guagliano, Justin M., Love, Rebecca, Clifford Astbury, Chloe, Sluijs, Esther M.F., Corder, Kirsten
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adipose tissue
Adolescent
Adult
Behavioral Physiology/Developmental Biology
Body Weight
Diet
Education
Educational Status
Employment
Exercise
Feeding Behavior
Female
Health Behavior
Humans
Life Change Events
Life Style
Male
Meta-analysis
Obesity
Physical activity
school
Secondary schools
Students
Systematic review
Universities
university
work
Young Adult
Young adults
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Summary:Summary Early adulthood is a time when individuals go through important life transitions, such as moving from high school into higher education or employment, but the impact of these life transitions on changes in body weight, diet, and physical activity is not known. We searched six electronic databases to July 2019 for longitudinal observational studies providing data on adiposity, diet, and/or physical activity across education or employment transitions in young people aged between 15 and 35 years. We found 19 studies, of which 17 assessed changes in physical activity, three body weight, and five diet or eating behaviours. Meta‐analysis (n=9) found that leaving high school was associated with a decrease of −7.04 (95% CI, −11.26, −2.82) min/day of moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity. Three studies reported increases in body weight on leaving high school. A small number of studies suggested decreases in diet quality on leaving high school (n=2/4 papers) and leaving university (n=1) but not on starting employment (n=1). Studies suggested no change in physical activity on leaving university (n=4) but decreases in physical activity on starting employment (n=2/3). The transition of leaving high school is an important time to support individuals to prevent decreases in physical activity and gains in body weight.
ISSN:1467-7881
1467-789X
DOI:10.1111/obr.12962