Journal of American College Health最新文献

Objective: This study explored the extent to which college athletic coaches endorse mental illness microaggressions toward their student-athletes and the importance of mental toughness in sports, and how these impact support for help-seeking among student-athletes. Methods: Fifty-eight coaches at Northeastern U.S. colleges in the National Collegiate Athletic Association completed an online survey, including measures of mental illness microaggressions, mental toughness, and questions about vignettes portraying scenarios with a physically injured athlete and an athlete with anxiety. Results: Multivariate analyses revealed that endorsement of mental illness microaggressions was negatively related to willingness to refer an athlete with anxiety to counseling services and positively related to willingness to allow a physically injured athlete to return to play. However, mental toughness was not predictive of microaggressions or vignette responses. Conclusions: Endorsement of mental illness microaggressions appears to be related to how coaches respond to athletes experiencing a mental health issue or physical injury.

The purpose of the study was to examine trajectories in hookah use behaviors across young adulthood and socio-demographic correlates of the trajectories. Data were drawn from Project M-PACT for the years 2014-2019. Participants were 5,220 college students aged 18 to 25 years at baseline. Growth curve models with an accelerated design were fit to examine four hookah use trajectories across ages 18 to 30, adjusted for covariates. Prevalence of current hookah use decreased between 2014 and 2019, from 17% to 7% and the frequency of use decreased by almost one day a month. Trajectories of hookah use alone and concurrent with cigarettes or with e-cigarettes also decreased as students increased in age. Current hookah users were likely to be young, male, racial/ethnic minority, and attending a four-year college. Observed disparities among hookah users have implications, in particular regarding the role of social context, race, and ethnicity, in tailoring smoking interventions.

Objective: To examine the associations between food insecurity and plant-centered meal consumption and other sodium-related dietary behaviors among university students. Methods: A web-based survey of students at three California state universities was conducted between August 2018 to May 2019. Multivariable logistic regressions examined the associations between food insecurity and four sodium-related dietary behaviors. Interaction terms were introduced to assess if race/ethnicity moderated these associations. Results: High food insecurity was associated with increased odds of reporting 'likely to order' plant-centered meals (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.16-2.05). Moderate food insecurity was associated with increased odds of frequently eating processed foods (AOR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.13-1.74). No moderation effects were found for race/ethnicity. Conclusions: University students with high food insecurity appeared receptive to ordering plant-centered meals, whereas those with moderate food insecurity consumed more processed foods. State universities should encourage and offer more low-sodium, plant-centered meal options in their food venues, on- and off-campus, to promote student health.

Objectives: We assessed the prevalence of loneliness by gender and gender-specific associations between loneliness and substance use in university students. Participants: Participants were students enrolled in colleges and universities throughout the United States (n = 84,481). Methods: Gender was self-reported and categorized as male, female, and transgender/nonbinary. Descriptive analyses were conducted, and logistic regression was used to measure associations between loneliness and substance use by gender and substance. Results: Loneliness prevalence was 58% in the sample, and loneliness was most prevalent among transgender/nonbinary students (79%). Loneliness was associated with reduced odds of alcohol use and increased odds of benzodiazepine use in all genders, and increased odds of marijuana, stimulant, and opioid misuse in females and males. Conclusions: Loneliness is prevalent in college students, especially in transgender/nonbinary students, and it is associated with increased odds of substance use. College administrators should consider implementing interventions to reduce loneliness in this population.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to utilize self-determination theory (SDT) incorporating the person-environment contextual factors as a framework to examine how the SDT factors may interact with functional disability and contextual factors to influence well-being for students with disabilities in higher education. Methods and participants: A quantitative descriptive design utilizing a convenience sample of 210 students with disabilities in higher education was used. Results: The final regression model accounted for 64% of the variance in well-being. When controlling for all other predictor variables in the model, functional disability, autonomy, learning competence, and relatedness were found to be predictive of well-being, with autonomy being the strongest predictor of well-being, followed by relatedness, learning competence, and functional disability. Conclusion: This study offers critical insights for higher education institutions, emphasizing the need for fostering environments that prioritize autonomy, competence, and relatedness to promote the well-being of students with disabilities.

This is a correspondence on published article on COVID-19 vaccine related anxiety mediates the association between COVID-19 related anxiety and student adjustment to college during the pandemic.

Objective: Mental health of college students is a matter of concern, and counseling centers have experienced a surge in demand and strain on capacity to provide services. This study explored the efficacy of a novel, nature-informed stress management curriculum entitled The Ecology of Resilience delivered via a for-credit general education course. The goals were a more favorable perception of stress and increased sense of bouncing back from stress (resilience). Participants: One hundred fifty-seven junior- and senior-level undergraduates participated in a project spanning three semesters from January 2022 to April 2023. Methods: The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were employed in a pretest/post-test arrangement. Results: PSS scores decreased significantly and BRS scores increased significantly for students enrolled in the course versus a control group. Conclusions: Curricula like the Ecology of Resilience, presented within the contexts of for-credit academic courses, are viable options for addressing student mental health.

Objective: Vaccine hesitancy has increased over the past several years limiting effectiveness. The primary objective of this study was to investigate which dimensions of vaccine hesitancy are most prominent among first generation college students (FGCS), an underexplored group. Secondly, this study explored sociodemographic differences in vaccine hesitancy within this population. Given that FGCS often function as health information gatekeepers for their family, increasing our understanding of these relationships may have far-reaching effects beyond the college setting. Materials and Methods: A sample of n = 339 undergraduate FGCS completed an online survey. Vaccine hesitancy was measured using the Multidimensional Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (MVHS) and sociodemographic variables were collected. Results: Cost, fear of physical pain, and long-term health risks associated with vaccination emerged as the leading factors of vaccine hesitancy for FGCS. Unexpectedly, low frequency social media FGCS reported significantly higher vaccine hesitancy scores compared to high users. Conclusions: Increasing our understanding of vaccine hesitancy will aid public health professionals in developing more efficacious vaccine interventions for this population.

Objective: Despite a growing emphasis on holistic student wellness in higher education, sexual well-being often remains neglected as part of wellness. We conducted a website content review to assess the broad utilization of wellness models and the specific integration of sexual well-being into wellness programs. Methods and results: Targeting 51 flagship and top 50 private institutions, we found that 82.35% of flagships and 64.00% of top private institutions mentioned some form of the wellness model. However, integration of the wellness model into on-campus or local resources varied considerably across institutions. Importantly, only two institutions (both private) addressed sexuality as its own unique dimension of wellness. Conclusion: The current study underscores the need for wellness programs to include a focus on sexual well-being. Skills and knowledge that college students learn through wellness programs can help them make better health decisions and improve their quality of life while in college and beyond.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the college experience. Concurrently, social justice movements highlighting systemic racism and police brutality were taking place.We explored the extent to which undergraduate students from a private university felt both positive and negative emotions due to the dual pandemic. Methods:Undergraduate students reported the extent to which they felt 19 emotions due to COVID-19 in August 2020 (n = 944) and January 2021 (n = 321). In August 2020, participants also indicated the extent to which they felt the same emotions due to the civil unrest occurring in response to systemic racism and police brutality. Results: Participants felt a wide range of emotions in response to the dual pandemic. Students felt more positively about the civil unrest compared to COVID-19 in August 2020. Despite vaccine availability, negative emotions regarding COVID-19 rose in January 2021. Conclusions: The implications of the ongoing effects of the dual pandemic are discussed.