Nutrition and weight management behaviors: Public and private high school adolescents

Objective: To examine differences in weight control and nutritional behavio rs among public (PUBHS) and private (PVTHS) high school students (n=6,627). Methods: The 1995 YRBS was utilized. Chi-square analyses compared PVTHS an d PUBHS. Results: PVTHS females were more likely to diet and exercise than PUBHS females (p < .01). PUBHS males were more likely to attempt to gain we ight than were PVTHS males (p<.001), PVTHS students were more likely to con sume fruit, juice, green salad, and cooked vegetables than were PUBHS stude nts (p<.001), Moreover, PUBHS students were more likely to consume meat and fried foods than were PVTHS students (p<.01), Conclusion: PVTHS students m ay make healthier choices regarding eating compared to those made by PUBHS students.