Dairy Consumption and its Influence on Body Composition a Cross-Sectional Analysis of College-Aged Students in Mississippi

Regular consumption of dairy is thought to aid in preserving lean body mass while decreasing body fat, however, studies have reported inconsistent results. The overall aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the influence of dairy consumption on body composition, specifically body fat percentage, among college-aged individuals in Mississippi. Total dairy consumption, type of dairy, and the relationship between race and sex were examined in 580 participants aged 18-26 years. Two-tailed correlation tests revealed a nonsignificant relationship between frequency of dairy consumption and body fat percentage among males, (r = .02, p = .68, n = 98) and females, (r = .06, p = .17, n = 469). There was also a nonsignificant interaction among race categories and dairy consumption. Future studies examining college-aged individuals should be performed with a more diverse sample to see if a relationship exists