Journal of American College Health最新文献

Objective: Philip Morris International's Smoke-Free Future (SFF) campaign pledged to replace conventional cigarettes with smoke-free alternatives, promoting smokers' health and combating smoking-related misinformation.

Method: We interviewed 25 college students to assess their perceived credibility of SFF messages and interest in smoke-free products.

Results: Nearly half couldn't identify a tobacco company as the message source, speculating it came from public health entities. Many overlooked profit motives, instead seeing SFF as genuinely supportive of smoking cessation and being aligned with public health. About a third found the message credible, citing factors like lay narrators and language/images signifying science. Most expressed interest in smoke-free products, driven by curiosity and misunderstanding of their health implications.

Conclusion: Our study underscores concern that recent tobacco corporate communications may influence young people's interest in these products, even without explicit promotion, necessitating better education about industry tactics to disguise their identity with health and science initiatives, while undermining tobacco control efforts.

Objective: The primary purpose of this cross-sectional study was to understand food insecurity among athletes at one NCAA Division II university. Participants: Student-athletes at a medium-sized, rural university, aged 18 or older (n = 256). Methods: Participants completed a survey with: demographics, the 10-item USDA Adult Food Security Survey Model, and an open-ended question about student-athletes' major barriers to fueling well. Results: Most student-athletes (50.4%) were classified as food insecure and 28.5% of student-athletes met the criteria for very low food security. Chi-square analysis showed student-athletes receiving both CalFresh and financial aid and living off campus were more likely to experience food insecurity (p = 0.045 and p = 0.025, respectively). Time and money were reported as the most common barriers to eating well. Conclusion: Collegiate athletes are a high-risk population for food insecurity. Interventions, including increasing CalFresh usage among student-athletes may help mitigate this risk.

Objective: Examine the relationship between the change in food insecurity status and depressive symptoms before and during COVID periods in undergraduates.

Participants: Undergraduates (n = 850) surveyed for the College Relationships and Experiences project in November 2019 (wave 1) and May 2020 (wave 2).

Methods: Multivariable logistic regression examined the association between (1) food insecurity and elevated depressive symptoms at each wave and (2) elevated depressive symptoms at wave 2 and change in food insecurity status from wave 1 to wave 2.

Results: Food insecure (FI) students had over twice the odds of elevated depressive symptoms at both timepoints compared to their food-secure (FS) counterparts. Compared to those who stayed FS, students who changed from FI to FS and those who remained FI had higher odds of depressive symptoms at wave 2.

Conclusions: Pre-pandemic FI status is a crucial factor influencing elevated depressive symptoms both before and during the pandemic.

Objectives: This longitudinal study was designed to examine the growth trajectory of depressive symptoms among early-stage college students and how the development of vigorous, moderate, and light leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) was related to the growth trajectory. Participants: Four hundred and eighty-eight first- and second-year undergraduate students completed measures of depressive symptoms and LTPA at the beginning, middle, and end of a semester. Methods: Latent growth mixture modeling (LGMM) was conducted. Results: On average, students reported mild levels of depressive symptoms with significant variability at the semester start, but the symptoms elevated over time. LGMM identified two trajectories: low/gradual (75.8%) and high/increasing (24.2%). For both groups, neither vigorous nor moderate LTPA development predicted the growth trajectory of depressive symptoms. However, the change of light LTPA was negatively and significantly associated with the growth trajectory. Even when controlling for covariances, increased light LTPA still had a unique effect on buffering depressive symptoms. Conclusion: There is great potential in targeting comprehensive LTPA strategies to improve college students' mental health and promote an active lifestyle.

Objective: The objective of this systematic review was to examine current evidence regarding the associations between dietary quality and mental well-being indicators (stress, anxiety, and/or depression) in college students, with a secondary aim of characterizing the relationship between overall dietary quality and academic performance. Methods: Searches were performed, and the PRISMA guidelines were followed for reporting the methods and results. Results: Twelve observational studies were included and reviewed showing high dietary quality was associated with: low stress (four studies), high stress (one study), and no significant association (two studies); low depression (three studies) and no significant association (two studies) and low anxiety (two studies), high anxiety (one study), and no significant associations (two studies). Results showed weak positive associations between overall dietary quality and academic performance. Conclusions: These results are consistent with other studies of dietary quality and non-clinical mental health outcomes; more researched is needed to determine potential associations.

Objective: Hispanic/Latine college students are increasingly at high risk to experience self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs). This brief report examined SITB prevalence rates among a national sample of Hispanic/Latine college students, with specificity to sub-group characteristics. Participants: Hispanic college students across 139 institutions from a national survey of college student mental health (Healthy Minds Study) in the US (N = 12,499). Methods: The present cross-sectional, secondary data analysis examines prevalence rates of SITBs by sub-group characteristics (nativity, heritage, documentation status, other socio-demographics) using chi-square analyses and standardized residuals. Results: Younger (18-24 years old; p < 0.001), US-Born (p < 0.001), gender expansive/transgender (p < 0.001), and financially stressed (p < 0.001) Hispanic/Latine college students report higher rates of SITBs overall. Conclusion: Findings underscore the importance of examining overlapping and intersecting identities that can inform prevention efforts for the Hispanic/Latine student population in the US. Policy and institution-level recommendations for resource allocation and tailored prevention strategies are discussed.

Background: Links between alcohol-induced blackouts and sexual assault (SA) are understudied. We tested whether: (1) history of blackouts, past 30-day blackouts, and past 30-day blackout intentions would be higher among women with histories of SA relative to women without; (2) baseline history of blackouts, past 30-day blackouts, and blackout intentions would predict an increase in SA severity (i.e., a continuous variable that considers SA tactic type and assault frequency) at a one-year follow-up. Methods: 1721 undergraduate women completed a baseline survey and 313 completed the follow-up. Results: Women with SA history had 2.10 higher odds of history of blackouts, 1.47 higher odds of past 30-day blackout during "one" drinking episode, 1.78 higher odds of blackout during a "few" drinking episodes, 3.21 higher odds of blackout during "most/all" drinking episodes, and 1.54 higher odds of blackout intentions in the last 30-days. Longitudinally, history of blackouts and past 30-day blackouts at baseline were associated with an increase in SA severity at follow-up, when peak drinks were not controlled. Conclusion: Longitudinal findings provide some evidence that lifetime history of blackouts and past 30-day blackouts are significant predictors of an increase in SA severity at follow-up and therefore an essential target for interventions.

Objective: This study examined whether distinct mindfulness profiles explain physical health complaints common among college students. Participants: Participants were 535 college students. Methods: Participants completed the Five Facet Mindfulness and Physical Health Questionnaires. Latent profile analysis and the Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars method examined whether mindfulness profiles uniquely explained sleep disturbances, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and respiratory illness symptoms. Results: Three mindfulness profiles were identified: Judgmentally Observing, Average Mindfulness, and High Mindfulness/Nonjudgmentally Aware. The High Mindfulness/Nonjudgmentally Aware profile students tended to report having the best physical health (i.e., fewer sleep disturbances, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and respiratory illness symptoms). Conversely, students with the Judgmentally Observing profile reported the worst physical health outcomes (i.e., more sleep disturbances, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and respiratory illness symptoms). Conclusions: By exploring the associations between mindfulness profiles and physical health outcomes, this study offers a deeper understanding of the impact targeting specific mindfulness skills can have for promoting college student health.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness, from a system's perspective, of offering group counseling options in college counseling centers. Methods: We achieve this through a data-driven simulation-based approach with the aim of providing administrators with a quantitative tool that informs their decision-making process. Results: Our simulation experiments reveal that offering group counseling options without resource reallocation does not have the desired positive impact on the system's performance. However, with resource reallocation, our results demonstrate that the introduction of group counseling options can significantly improve the performance of the system by as much as 40%. Conclusions: Group counseling options, coupled with proper resource reallocation strategies, are effective in reducing access time of first-time patients by as much as 40%. The effect of group counseling is highly dependent on both the number of offered groups as well as their scheduling policy. Scheduling policies have to be scrutinized in light of their resulting group waiting time and resource-utilization efficiency.

Background: Endometriosis is a debilitating and highly stigmatized chronic condition. The relationship between stigma and depressive symptoms among college-attending women with endometriosis symptoms was examined. Method: Data were analyzed from a cross-sectional online survey of undergraduate women (N = 424). Mean anticipated, internalized, and enacted stigma values were calculated. Logistic regression assessed the relationship between stigma score and depressive symptoms. Results: Mean stigma scores were 1.98 (anticipated), 1.46 (internalized), and 1.59 (enacted) on a 5-point scale (1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest); 24.1% reported moderately severe/severe depressive symptoms. In adjusted models, stigma was associated with an increased likelihood of moderately severe/severe depressive symptoms (anticipated (aOR = 1.96, 95% CI:1.49-2.59); internalized (aOR =2.67, 95% CI: 1.88-3.85); enacted (aOR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.16-1.42)). Conclusion: College attending-women with endometriosis symptoms experience stigma which is significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Stigma reducing interventions are warranted and may have mental health benefits.