Showing papers in "Journal of American College Health in 2002"

Trends in College Binge Drinking during a Period of Increased Prevention Efforts. Findings from 4 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study Surveys: 1933-2001.

Abstract: Abstract The 2001 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study surveyed students at 119 4-year colleges that participated in the 1993, 1997, and 1999 studies. Responses in the 4 survey years were compared to determine trends in heavy alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, and encounters with college and community prevention efforts. In 2001, approximately 2 in 5 (44.4%) college students reported binge drinking, a rate almost identical to rates in the previous 3 surveys. Very little change in overall binge drinking occurred at the individual college level. The percentages of abstainers and frequent binge drinkers increased, a polarization of drinking behavior first noted in 1997. A sharp rise in frequent binge drinking was noted among students attending all-women's colleges. Other significant changes included increases in immoderate drinking and harm among drinkers. More students lived in substance-free housing and encountered college educational efforts and sanctions resulting from their alcohol use.

Trends in College Binge Drinking During a Period of Increased Prevention Efforts: Findings from 4 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study Surveys: 1993–2001

Abstract: The 2001 Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study surveyed students at 119 4-year colleges that participated in the 1993, 1997, and 1999 studies. Responses in the 4 survey years were compared to determine trends in heavy alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, and encounters with college and community prevention efforts. In 2001, approximately 2 in 5 (44.4%) college students reported binge drinking, a rate almost identical to rates in the previous 3 surveys. Very little change in overall binge drinking occurred at the individual college level. The percentages of abstainers and frequent binge drinkers increased, a polarization of drinking behavior first noted in 1997. A sharp rise in frequent binge drinking was noted among students attending all-women's colleges. Other significant changes included increases in immoderate drinking and harm among drinkers. More students lived in substance-free housing and encountered college educational efforts and sanctions resulting from their alcohol use.

Underage college students' drinking behavior, access to alcohol, and the influence of deterrence policies. Findings from the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study.

Abstract: Underage drinking is a major problem at American colleges, but little is known about the extent of alcohol use in different student groups, in different colleges, and in states with different control policies. We used data from the 2001 and 3 previous Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Studies that compared responses of underage students with those of their 21-23-year-old peers. Underage students drank alcohol less frequently but were more likely to drink to excess when they drank. College educational efforts and deterrent policies were limited in their outreach, and half of underage students obtained alcohol very easily. Underage students in states with extensive laws restricting underage and high-volume drinking were less likely to drink and to binge drink. A majority of underage students supported increasing efforts to control underage drinking. The results suggest that additional policy efforts to control underage drinking may be effective and feasible.

The Evaluation of a Mind/Body Intervention To Reduce Psychological Distress and Perceived Stress in College Students.

Abstract: The authors examined the effect of a 6-week mind/body intervention on college students' psychological distress, anxiety, and perception of stress. One hundred twenty-eight students were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 63) or a waitlist control group (n = 65). The experimental group received 6 90-minute group-training sessions in the relaxation response and cognitive behavioral skills. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Perceived Stress Scale were used to assess the students' psychological state before and after the intervention. Ninety students (70% of the initial sample) completed the postassessment measure. Significantly greater reductions in psychological distress, state anxiety, and perceived stress were found in the experimental group. This brief mind/body training may be useful as a preventive intervention for college students, according to the authors, who called for further research to determine whether the observed treatment effect can be sustained over a longer period of time.

Social Stigma and Negative Consequences: Factors That Influence College Students' Decisions to Seek Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections

Abstract: College students often delay or avoid seeking testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), even if the services are readily available. We used in-depth, semistructured interviews to survey 41 college students aged 18 to 23 years about factors that influence decisions about STI testing. We grouped statements into 9 themes that represent influences on the decision. The most frequently mentioned factors were negative consequences of testing and perceived vulnerability to infection; other issues that influenced decision making included perceived benefits, perceived severity of diseases, public knowledge and opinion, social norms, provider characteristics, test-site characteristics, and personal considerations. Social stigmas and negative consequences appear to represent significant barriers to college students' being tested, which could increase the risk of spreading infections to others. Clinicians and health educators should raise students' awareness of the need for screening and should work to reduce the barriers to screening, including social stigmas and negative consequences.

Eating and exercise disorders in young college men

Abstract: The authors used the computerized Eating and Exercise Examination to investigate eating, weight, shape, and exercise behaviors in a convenience sample of 93 male college students. One fifth of the men worried about their weight and shape, followed rules about eating, and limited their food intake. Between 9% and 12% were unhappy with their body shape, felt fat, and seriously wanted to lose weight. Exercise was important for the self-esteem of 48% of the students. Thirty-four percent were distressed when they could not exercise as much as they wanted, 27% followed rules about exercising, and 14% worried about the amount of exercise they were doing. The respondents met clinical diagnoses for objective binge eating (3%), self-induced vomiting (3%), bulimia nervosa (2%), and exercise disorders (8%). Although 9% reported disordered eating, none had sought treatment. Health professionals should be aware that eating and exercise disorders may be present in college men and that screening may help in the early identification of these problems.

Prevalence and correlates of alcohol-induced blackouts among college students: results of an e-mail survey.

Abstract: The authors conducted an e-mail survey of 772 college students to learn more about their experiences with blackouts. Approximately half (51%) of those who had ever consumed alcohol reported they had experienced a blackout at some point in their lives, and 40% had experienced 1 in the year before the survey. Among those who drank in the 2 weeks before the survey, nearly 1 in 10 (9.4%) had experienced a blackout during that period. Many later learned that, during the blackout, they had vandalized property, driven an automobile, had sexual intercourse, or engaged in other risky behaviors. Experiencing 3 or more blackouts was associated with a variety of other experiences, including heavier drinking, lower grades, an earlier age of drinking onset, and having others express concerns about their drinking. The female students who reported blackouts during the 2 weeks before the survey drank far less than male students did during this time period, supporting the use of gender-specific definitions of risk...

Physical activity among ethnically diverse college students.

Abstract: The authors compared physical activity patterns among 874 Asian, 332 African, 1,101 White, and 529 Hispanic American college students aged 18 to 25 years. According to self-report responses, 46.7% of the sample did not engage in vigorous physical activity and 16.7% were physically inactive. Among women, ethnic-specific rates of physical inactivity were Asian, 28.1%; African, 23.5%; White, 17.4%; and Hispanic, 20.3%. For men, rates of inactivity were Asian 11.7%; African, 7.7%; White, 12.0%; and Hispanic, 13.8. Weight-training activity, youthful physical activity, and TV viewing accounted for a significant portion of the variance in physical activity levels (13.1% for women and 14.8% for men). The results of this study support the need for physical activity interventions for college students, particularly minorities.

Freshman 15: Valid Theory or Harmful Myth?

Abstract: The authors investigated whether the perception that freshmen gain 15 pounds during their 1st year of college is related to either actual or perceived weight gain. Forty-nine incoming freshmen at a small liberal arts college completed the study by filling out questionnaires and health data at the beginning and end of their 1st year on campus. The findings revealed no significant weight gain at the end of the year. The "Freshman 15" myth was found to play an important role in perpetuating negative attitudes toward weight. Freshmen who were concerned about gaining 15 pounds were more likely to think about their weight, have a poorer body image than others, and categorize themselves as being overweight.

Guns and gun threats at college.

Abstract: A random sample of more than 10,000 undergraduate students, selected from 119 4-year colleges, answered a mailed questionnaire about gun possession and gun threats. Approximately 4.3% of the students reported that they had a working firearm at college, and 1.6% of them have been threatened with a gun while at school. Students are more likely to have a firearm at college and to be threatened with a gun while at college if they are male, live off campus, binge drink, engage in risky and aggressive behavior after drinking, and attend institutions in regions of the United States where household firearm prevalence is high. Having a firearm for protection is also strongly associated with being threatened with a gun while at college. Students who reported having firearms at college disproportionately reported that they engaged in behaviors that put themselves and others at risk for injury.

Results of a Heart Disease Risk-Factor Screening Among Traditional College Students

Abstract: The author collected data on serum cholesterol, blood pressure, and self-reported health behavior in 226 college students aged 18 to 26 years. Twenty-nine percent had undesirable total cholesterol levels, 10% had high cholesterol, 10% had high systolic blood pressure, and 11% had high diastolic blood pressure. Half or more of the participants consumed a diet high in saturated fats, engaged in binge drinking, had a parental risk for high cholesterol or blood pressure, or reported they experienced elevated stress levels. Men had higher risk-factor levels than women. Findings from a regression analysis revealed that smoking, binge drinking, lack of cardiovascular exercise, and eating a high saturated-fat diet were predictive of undesirable cholesterol levels. Study limitations included self-selection of participants and single measurements of blood pressure and cholesterol. Trained students served as screeners in the program for providing an effective, low-cost screening intervention.

Stages of Change Among Ethnically Diverse College Students

Abstract: The authors applied the stage-of-change construct in the transtheoretical model to examine the distribution of Asian (n = 869), African American (n = 373), White (n = 1322), and Hispanic (n = 535) American undergraduate students across the 5 stages of change for exercise. Stage of change varied as a function of ethnicity. Higher percentages of minorities were in the precontemplation and contemplation stages. The likelihood of being in these stages was from 43% to 82% greater for minorities than for White students. Also examined were the congruency between stage of change and self-reported levels of physical activity. Half of the sedentary students and 15.6% of the active students were misclassified by the stage-of-change procedure. Misclassification rates were higher for minority women (27.8%) than for White women (17.8%) and for Asian students (24.6%) compared with all others (20.6%). The results of this study have implications for the design of physical activity interventions based on stage of change.

Links between Past Abuse, Suicide Ideation, and Sexual Orientation among San Diego College Students.

Abstract: The authors explored relationships among childhood abuse, suicidal ideation, and sexual orientation of 18- to 30-year-old students enrolled in 2 San Diego area colleges, using responses from anonymous questionnaires. Sixty percent of the 138 eligible respondents were women, and 22% were self-identified gay/bisexual individuals. Women were more likely than men to report at least 1 form of emotional abuse (odds ratio [OR] = 2.3; p =.02) and unwanted sexual touching (OR = 4.3; p = .0004). Lesbian/bisexual women were significantly more likely to report past suicidal ideation than were heterosexual women (OR = 3.7, p = .03). Gay/bisexual men were more likely to report unwanted sexual touching than were heterosexual men (OR = 5.1, p = .04), but the men did not report significantly higher rates of past suicide ideation or suicide attempts. Sexual orientation and a past history of child sexual, physical, and emotional abuse could be compounding risk factors for suicidal ideation among college students.

Prevention efforts underlying decreases in binge drinking at institutions of higher education.

Abstract: Analyses of 94 Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE)-sponsored drug-prevention programs and their outcomes used the Core Survey to identify 34 institutions where college students' binge drinking increased (M = 5.44%) and 60 institutions where it decreased (M = -4.59%) during 2 years of program operation. The authors used an inductively derived taxonomy of prevention program elements, student variables, student substance use, use-related variables, and institutional variables to compare the 2 groups of institutions. Only prevention program elements discriminated between groups. Factor analysis of discriminating elements identified 8 prevention factors that improved base-rate prediction of institutional decrease in binge drinking by 28.1%. Factor synthesis yielded a 3-construct binge-drinking prevention model based on student participation and involvement strategies, educational and informational processes, and campus regulatory and physical change efforts. This model improve...

Vaginal douching practices among women attending a university in the southern United States.

Abstract: The authors assessed the frequency, characteristics, and motivational antecedents of vaginal douching practices among 125 White and 155 Black female college students. Overall, 40% of the students had ever douched and half of those women currently douche. Black women were most likely to be encouraged to douche by their mothers, whereas White women were more influenced by television advertisements. Among the sexually active women, being Black, using oral contraceptives, using spermicides, and being encouraged to douche by their mothers or by the media were independently associated with ever having douched. These associations were present among both Black and White women and were stronger when current douching was compared with never having douched. Women who were discouraged from douching by a physician or nurse were more likely to have stopped the practice. Douching is common, even among educated young women; nurses' and physicians' advice to stop douching appears to have a salutary effect.

Binge drinking and the college environment.

Abstract: (2002). Binge Drinking and the College Environment. Journal of American College Health: Vol. 50, No. 5, pp. 197-201.

Are college students alcoholics

Abstract: (2002). Are College Students Alcoholics? Journal of American College Health: Vol. 50, No. 5, pp. 253-255.

An evaluation of college online alcohol-policy information.

Abstract: Excessive and underage drinking by US college and university students continues to be a significant problem. Curtailing the misuse of alcohol on college campuses is an important goal of college and university administrators because of the many negative consequences resulting from alcohol misuse. As part of their prevention programs, US colleges and universities are required by law to make information about their alcohol policies available to students. Often the source of this information is the school's Web site. The authors evaluated the alcohol-policy information that is available on the Web sites of the 52 top national universities listed in the 2002 rankings of US News and World Report. In general, they found that the information was difficult to find, was located in many areas of the Web site, and did not provide complete information about the school's alcohol policy.

The association of campus resources for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students with college students' condom use.

Abstract: The author and colleagues examined campus resources for gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) students at 119 US colleges to determine how the presence of such resources affected sexually active students' condom use. A random sample of unmarried, sexually active college students surveyed in 1999 completed questionnaires. Condom use was compared across schools with different levels of GLB resources. Condom use rates, analyzed by sex and sex-partner groups, ranged from 32% to 52%. With additional college variables controlled for, GLB resources were positively associated with the proportion of sexually active students who used condoms (p < .001). This association existed primarily for students with only opposite-sex partners. The author's findings suggest that campus resources for GLB students may be associated with college students' condom use.

Availability of emergency contraceptive pills at university and college student health centers.

Abstract: The author used the stages of change model to determine how ready student health centers at surveyed universities and colleges were to make emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) available to students. Of the 358 centers that responded, 52.2% offered ECPs and 47.8% did not. The benefits of offering ECPs were listed as pregnancy prevention, the opportunity to introduce students to traditional contraception methods, and students' appreciation. Barriers to offering ECPs included institutions' religious affiliations, clinic and administrative staff objections, inability to prescribe or dispense medications, fear of liability, concern that ECPs would undermine students' use of traditional contraception methods, and no expressed need. Whether ECPs were available was associated with demographic characteristics of the institutions that responded, including geographic region, type of institution, size of student population, and students' status as commuter or on-campus residents.

An Evaluation of Physical Fitness Parameters for Graduate Students

Abstract: Although graduate physical therapy students are taught the principles of fitness for incorporation into their professional lives, they have difficulty finding the time to implement these principles during graduate school. The authors studied 3 successive classes of graduate physical therapy students at the beginning and ending of their respective programs. They found that the women's percentages of body fat were significantly greater over the period of the study. The men's lower extremity strength decreased at the slower speeds (60 degrees/second), and the women showed increased strength at the higher speeds (180 and 240 degrees/second, respectively). Male grip strength significantly increased over the period of the study. To decrease students' percentages of body fat and increase their strength, the authors asserted that physical therapy students should be allowed more time to participate in fitness activities during their graduate school years.

Rapid response to a conjunctivitis outbreak: the use of technology to leverage information

Abstract: When an outbreak of conjunctivitis was identified at a rural New England college early in 2002, the college health center medical staff used various information management and communication systems to alert the community to the situation. They called upon the state Department of Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help them understand and manage the outbreak. Technological systems already in place at the college allowed for rapid collection of data by means of a survey delivered over the Internet and a carriage study facilitated by a Web-based appointment and communication system. Within days, the data were collected and analyzed and an immediate response to contain the outbreak was launched.

Trauma screening in students attending a medical university.

Abstract: Clinicians seldom assess trauma history in patients who seek treatment for psychological problems, yet trauma exposure is often related to psychological distress. Assessing trauma history can provide valuable information for treatment conceptualization and provision, although patients may not spontaneously share their histories because of embarrassment, avoidance, or other concerns. The authors compared 73 students at a southeastern US medical university who sought counseling and psychological services and completed intake paperwork without a trauma screen with 130 students whose intake procedures included trauma screening. They found that (a) patients who were specifically asked about trauma history were more likely to report such events, (b) previous physical assaults with a weapon were related to current psychological distress, and (c) physical assaults with or without a weapon were related to clinically significant psychological distress. These findings suggest that screening for lifetime trauma history should be a standard part of mental health screenings in similar medical university counseling centers.

The failure of higher education to reduce the binge drinking rate

Abstract: A lcohol and other drug (AOD) coordinators on college and university campuses are inherently set up for failure. According to the Harvard School of Public Health's College Alcohol Study,' binge drinking rates at colleges and universities have changed very little over the last decade in spite of the attendon given to the issue. Why has higher education failed at what many professionals believe to be the number one social issue on college campuses? To facilitate change, we must consider a number of existing situations and make a necessary philosophical shift in our approaches. If a college or university is lucky enough to have a fulltime AOD coordinator, this person may not have had the training necessary to do the job successfully. Quite frequently, universities have appointed a mental health counselor who must conduct AOD prevention in his or her spare time, although AOD prevention demands time commitments well beyond those of an already-burdened professional. Recruitment is another concern. Often, an AOD posifion description calls for a candidate with a master's degree in health education, public health, counseling psychology, or a related field. The differences among these fields are profound. Counselors are desperately needed at colleges and universities, but they have been trained to work with people at a micro level, not a macro level. Successful AOD prevention requires coalition building and policy development, something for which most counselors are not trained. Health educators are skilled at teaching and implementing interventions, but their focus is traditionally on educating the individual student. Individuals who specialize in public health are trained to

Why college health matters.

Abstract: his issue of the Journal offers a selection of very different articles, all of which respond in one T way or another to a fundamental and pressing question: College health for what? Or, put another way: Why, and how, does college health matter? Getting most directly at that point, the writers of the 2 Viewpoints inspire us, reminding us from their different perspectives of why we do what we do. (By the way, because nobody is conceivably in college health for the money. that possible answer is rather securely off the table.) Paula L. Swinford, a distinguished past president of the American College Health Association, locates college health programs (note, not incidentally, her choice of words: college health progrums, rather than college health centers) centrally, at the heart of the mission of institutions of higher education. Responsible for advancing the health of students, good college health programs strengthen and fortify the campus learning environment while supporting the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social development of each student. Ergo, the success of health-related programs and services in college is measured not in their relative ability to construct an cdifice of knowledge but in their capacity to infuse elements of flexibility, resilience, and coherence into students’ academic and personal lives. The best college health programs protect and advance the health of students in ways, and along pathways, that liberate students’ minds. So it is, as Swinford so carefully argues, that effective college health programs are not-have not been-annot bepurely clinical operations, no matter how sound and valu-

The agony of ecstasy: responding to growing MDMA use among college students.

Abstract: he recent increase in ecstasy use among college students has left prevention workers feeling anything T but euphoric. Although the use of alcohol and most other drugs has remained steady over the last S years, ecstasy use has more than doubled.’ This dramatic increase, coupled with the unique characteristics of this substance, warrants a concerted prevention effort specific to this drug. In the present article, we outline the history and current epidemiology of MDMA, more commonly known as ecsfasy, X , E, or XTC, and provide directions to equip readers to respond to this growing problem.

Harm reduction: a promising approach for college health.

Abstract: McCabe. Sean Esteban Gender Differences in Collegiate Risk Factors for Heavy Episodic Drinking. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 2002, 63 (January) pp. 4656. In spring 1999 at a large research university in the Midwest, 2,04 1 full-time undergraduate students completed a webbased survey that measured heavy episodic drinking, drinking motivations, living arrangements, grade-point average (GPA), and past problem behaviors as a result of drinking. The students were divided into four categories of drinking behavior: abstainers, nonheavy episodic drinkers, heavy episodic drinkers, and frequent heavy episodic drinkers. Continuous and categorical multiple risk factor approaches were used to examine gender differences in drinking behavior. The results revealed that both the men and the women who had experienced alcohol-related problems in the past year were more likely to engage in heavy episodic drinking than were their counterparts. Residing in a substance-free residence hall or in a living-learning residence hall was associated with less heavy episodic drinking for the men but not for the women. The sophomore, junior, and senior women were much less likely to engage in heavy episodic drinking than were the freshman men. The Hispanic American women were more likely to engage in heavy episodic drinking than were the Hispanic American men. Living in a fraternity house was a risk factor for heavy episodic drinking among the men, but living in a sorority house was not a risk factor for the women. (26 ref)-Substance Abuse Research Center; University of Michigan. Cited in Higher Education Abstracts.

Quality improvement in patient distribution at a major university student health center.

Abstract: Healthcare in a major university setting poses unusual challenges and great opportunities. Two traditionally challenging areas in patient distribution are the initial intake of allergy/immunization patients and the triage of outpatients in the general medical clinic. The authors describe the use of the FOCUS-PDCA quality improvement (QI) problem-solving process for each situation. After identifying major problems, the health center established cross-functional teams of experts representing the allergy/immunization and general medical clinics. The teams analyzed the problems with a flow chart and undertook studies to further elucidate causes and potential solutions. They listed potential solutions in order of priority and submitted them to the student health center director for review and initiation. Each team then used the PDCA (plan-do-check-act) cycle to put approved solutions into effect. Permanent improvements made in each area resulted in a more effective and efficient patient distribution s...