Serum Cholesterol Levels in College Students: Opportunities for Education and Intervention

Abstract

Elevated serum cholesterol levels have been shown to be associated with premature atherosclerosis in adolescents and young adults. The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends cholesterol screening for all adults aged 20 years or older, but normative data on the college-age population are limited. At a university where lipid profiles are made available to students in selected health/wellness courses, the authors analyzed and summarized lipid profiles on 1,088 undergraduates. Mean total cholesterol levels were similar for men (165 ± 33 mg/dL) and women (168 ± 27 mg/dL). The men, however, had significantly lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol than the women. One hundred twenty-one students (11.1% of the sample) had elevated serum cholesterol levels (LDL-C ≥ 130 mg/dL). Cholesterol screening can be used as an educational tool for college students to reinforce the link between lipid levels and health habits.

Key Words:

• cholesterol
• college students
• lipids
• lipoproteins

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bill D. Beavers

All of the authors are with Department of Health and Performance Sciences in the College of Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Phillip B. Sparling is a professor, Teresa K. Snow is a research associate, and Bill D. Beavers is an associate professor.