Journal of American College Health最新文献

Objective: Despite experiencing exacerbation of mental health issues, post-secondary students may not seek help due to perceived stigma, overreliance on the self, or preference for nonprofessional supports - including peer support. This study aimed to understand peer support workers' (PSWs) perspectives regarding providing support for mental health concerns in post-secondary institutions. Methods: 41 PSWs were recruited from two post-secondary institutions. 17 semi-structured interviews and three focus groups were conducted. Themes were identified using a qualitative descriptive approach. Results: Three themes emerged: (1) diverse presentations and approaches to operationalizing peer support for mental health issues on campus exist; (2) peer support has core ingredients; (3) reasons why students access peer support extend beyond mental health crisis. Conclusions: An inclusive peer support approach to mental health is needed for post-secondary students. Considerations for implementation hinge on providing standardized, foundational training to prepare PSWs for the complex mental health issues that present across services.

Objective: We generated items to assess COVID-19 changes among Hispanic college students and examined the concurrent and predictive effects of these changes vis-à-vis mental health. Participants: The sample consisted of 559 Hispanic first-year (69% women; age range 18-22; 88.1% U.S.-born; 84% Mexican/Mexican American) attending a public university in Texas. Methods: Students participated in a three-wave longitudinal online survey assessing stressors, COVID-19 changes, anxious and depressive symptoms, hope, and self-esteem. Results: Students experienced negative changes across six life domains as a result of the pandemic-related lockdowns: education; health; relationships; finances; social issues; death/loss. They also reported positive changes during the lockdowns. Negative changes were positively correlated with higher, and positive changes with lower, acculturative and perceived stress. Negative COVID-19 changes predicted lower mental health. Conclusions: Hispanic students experienced both negative and positive COVID-19 changes, which were related to their mental health. Results can guide research and decision-making during future pandemics.

Objective: Examine college students' behavior intention to reduce viral outbreak transmission in the context of Mpox, and what preventive messaging strategies would be most effective in future transmissible disease outbreaks based on the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA).

Participants: Undergraduates at a mid-Atlantic U.S. University.

Methods: An online survey (n = 266) conducted at the height of the recent Mpox outbreak in the U.S., asked about five target behaviors to reduce Mpox transmission, including RAA determinants for each behavior.

Results: Highest intention was safe sex practices, lowest were vaccination and sexual abstinence, and sharing dishes and fabrics were in between. RAA determinants differed by target behavior, although attitudes were significantly positively associated with intention for all five behaviors.

Conclusions: College students are potentially open to preventative behaviors to reduce viral transmission during an outbreak. However, specific target behavior matters and messaging should focus on differing RAA determinants depending on target behavior.

Objective: An estimated 21% to 58.8% of U.S. college student populations experience food insecurity (FI)-that is, limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Ameliorating this FI requires the involvement of college administrations. This study seeks to explore campus administrators' understanding of-and support for-students who experience FI. Participants: Thirty administrators at a university on the West Coast participated in semi-structured interviews. Methods: All interviews were transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were analyzed using the grounded theory approach. Results: Though participants understood the concept of FI, the majority underestimated the scope of the problem and didn't believe it had been treated as a priority. They identified competing resources and concerns, along with other factors like low awareness, as barriers to addressing FI. Conclusion: Although administrators were aware of the existence of FI on their campus, this study's results allude to the importance of providing further necessary FI education for administrators.

Objective: Examine the impact of a community-based, multi-component sun intervention on the campus of Lee College in Baytown, Texas. Participants: 735 respondents completed the survey as part of a range of campus topics. Methods: Survey data on the program were gathered through an emailed campus-wide survey to better understand the community's perceptions and awareness as well as campaign effectiveness over time. Results: Sun safety self-efficacy and awareness of the importance of sun safety behaviors were high in the community. Students reported a lower level of sun safety self-efficacy than employees. Open-ended responses also offered insight into complex views some community members hold about sun-safety behavior, raising questions about the effectiveness of sunscreen and the need for vitamin D. Conclusions: The paper found high awareness of sun-safe behaviors, high self-efficacy in taking personal action, and appreciation for the institutional effort to care for the community.

Objective: To assess the sexual health of young community college students so that health promotion priorities can be identified and tailored programming can be implemented for this understudied population. Participants: A national sample of 1,678 community college students. Methods: Survey data was analyzed to understand trends in sexual health - including differences by gender and sexual identity. Results: While 54% of the sample have had vaginal sex and 16% have had anal sex, rates of condom use for these behaviors are low (respectively 51% and 42%). Only 52% of students have communicated with a medical professional about sexual health and 42% have been tested for STIs. Young men have the lowest odds of communicating with a medical professional about sexual health. Heterosexual men have particularly low odds of getting tested for STIs. Conclusions: Community college students need additional resources - eg, education, accessible health care - to promote their sexual health.

Objective: To understand university students' experiences with sex trading for financial compensation at a large public, Midwestern university.

Participants: 34 university students (26.5% graduate, 70% white, 70% cisgender women, 38% heterosexual).

Method: We used a community-engaged, directed content analytic approach to analyze semi-structured, in-depth interviews with st udents who were familiar with sex trading.

Results: Students perceive sex trading to include (1) selling personal items or fluids for another's sexual pleasure, (2) virtual sex trades, and (3) in-person sex trades. Students were motivated by financial needs and wants, work flexibility and conditions, curiosity and empowerment. Consequences were positive (e.g., supporting themselves, community) and negative (e.g., blackmail, detrimental health effects). While negative consequences had deleterious effects on students' wellbeing, the benefits were viewed as critical.

Conclusions: Findings call for harm reduction approaches that span campus services, university and federal policies. Future research should explore students' experiences in differing academic and regional contexts.

Objective: This study expands the literature on risk taking among college students by exploring anti-racism action as a form of positive risk taking. Participants: 346 Black (64%) and Latinx (36%) college students (85% female) ages 18-27 years (M = 18.75, SD = 1.31). Methods: Participants responded to questionnaires on anti-racism action, health-risk taking, and college functioning. Latent class analysis identified behavioral profiles of risk takers. Indicators of profile membership and associations with college functioning were examined. Results: Three profiles emerged: moderate overall risk taking, high health-risk taking, and high anti-racism action. Personal experience with discrimination was associated with a greater likelihood of health-risk taking. Students in the high anti-racism profile evinced greater educational functioning than those in the high-health risk taking profile. Conclusions: Risky behavior on college campuses is not homogeneous. Specific interventions and support networks are necessary to support students falling within specific risk profiles.

Objective: To examine the associations between COVID-19-related living arrangements and sexual and gender minority (SGM)-related stressors (ie, identity concealment and familial rejection).

Participants: N = 478 SGM university students (M_age = 22 years, SD = 4.00).

Methods: SGM university students were surveyed cross-sectionally between May and August 2020 regarding SGM-related stressors and living arrangements since the start of COVID-19.

Results: Approximately half (48.7%) of the sample reported a living rearrangement to their parents' home due to COVID-19. Living rearrangement to parents' homes was associated with an increased degree of identity concealment (β [95% C.I.] = 0.62 [0.10, 1.15]; p = .020) and familial rejection (β [95% C.I.] = 1.56 [0.72, 2.41]; p < .001) since the start of COVID-19 compared to stably living without parents (34.3%). Stably living with parents (17.0%) was not associated with increased degree of SGM-related stressors compared to experiencing a living rearrangement.

Conclusions: Stakeholders must consider the unique identity-related vulnerabilities of SGM students living with parents and who experience living rearrangements due to COVID-19.

For undergraduate students, excessive screen time is associated with poorer mental health and greater perceived stress. Objective: The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the potential moderating influence of physical activity and sleep on the relationship between screen time and stress. Participants & Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 513 undergraduate students between Fall 2017 & Spring 2020 were given a questionnaire to assess perceived stress level, physical activity engagement, screen time, and sleep. Results: Stepwise hierarchical regression analyses identified that screen time, sleep, and the three-way interaction between screen time, sleep, and physical activity were associated with stress. Post-hoc decomposition revealed that higher levels of physical activity and sleep both mitigated the relationship between screen time and stress. Conclusions: Findings suggest that modifiable health behaviors such as physical activity and sleep may be important factors for managing the negative effects of screen time on stress in college-aged adults.