A brief whole-body vibration intervention to avoid weight gain in college students: A randomized controlled pilot trial

Abstract

Objective

Over one-third of college students are overweight or obese and rates are rising. Whole body vibration (WBV) training could prevent weight gain but has not been tested in college students. Methods: Randomized controlled trial comparing thrice weekly WBV for 6 months to controls (CON) in undergraduate students. Feasibility included retention, adherence and safety and outcomes included changes in weight, body mass index (BMI) and fat mass. Results: 77 students enrolled in the trial (WBV: n = 40, CON: n = 37), 81% completed the study. Adherence to WBV averaged 59%. Average group differences were 1% body fat (p = 0.049) and 1 kg fat mass (p < 0.01), favoring WBV. Among students completing >80% of prescribed WBV sessions significant group differences widened, while group differences in BMI (p = 0.026) and weight (p = 0.02) change became significant. Conclusions: WBV may be a feasible, safe and effective approach to weight management in college students, though strategies to optimize adherence should continue.

Keywords:

• Body composition
• energy balance
• weight loss
• young adult

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the students and staff of Warner Pacific University for their participation in this study.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United State of America and received approval from the Oregon Health and Science University Institutional Review Board.

Data availability

Data sharing will include individual participant data that underlie the results reported in this article, after deidentification (text, tables, figures, and appendices) and the Study Protocol beginning 9 months and ending 36 months following article publication. Data will be shared with researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal for individual participant data meta-analysis. Proposals should be directedto [email protected]. To gain access, data requestors will need to sign a data access agreement. Data will be stored in a university data repository and provided by request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (Grant ID: 1R21HL115251).