Date of Award

12-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Mathematics

Department

Mathematics

First Reader/Committee Chair

Aldirawi, Hani

Abstract

Health habits among college students are commonly overseen, especially for students transitioning from high school right into college. These students are becoming independent young adults, and learning how to adapt to a different scenery when it comes to their learning environment. As these young adults transition into college, this is the perfect time for the students to become more vulnerable and comfortable with their independence, and their weight begins to fluctuate. Many variables come into consideration when increasing weight as an incoming first-year student. Students are more likely to live alone, get a job, and rely on fast food and quick snacks, all while juggling school, which may also lead to stress and binge eating. Not only may their stress lead to binge eating, but it may also include alcohol consumption as well as Marijuana consumption. This topic is essential because if unmeasured, weight gain may lead to health problems, which may also interfere with the student’s learning. It is also crucial because making students aware of their surroundings and possible outcomes may prevent them from gaining substantial unhealthy weight. Our study consists of about 900 students from a large Hispanic-serving institution in the Western United States. We applied three different statistical models to predict the student’s weight status given 34 covariates such as gender, ethnicity, stress, and alcohol assumptions. The analysis based on our dataset shows that the neural network model has the highest performance. Our findings have significant implications for students’ health.

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