Describing College Students' Health Behaviors

Describing College Students' Health Behaviors
Author: Jill E. Clutter
Publisher:
Total Pages: 85
Release: 2006
Genre: College students
ISBN:

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the health behavior lifestyles of college students and describe the characteristics of the differing lifestyles. The study used the leading indicators of health described by Healthy People 2010 to group college students into health lifestyle clusters. The clustering technique revealed three prominent groupings of students, named for the relative degree of risk indicated by their health-compromising behaviors: low risk, moderate risk, and high risk clusters. Differences in personal and environmental factors were found among the clusters. Notably, the high risk cluster members tended to be upperclassmen, live off campus, have more safety issues and lower GPAs than the members of the other clusters. The moderate cluster members tended to exhibit less risky behaviors, with the exception of a higher likelihood of engaging in risky sexual encounters. The low risk cluster members were more likely to live on campus or with their parents, tended to be younger and have higher GPAs. The ability to profile college students based upon known variables provides an avenue for identifying at-risk students and tailoring health promotion messages specifically for them. Because student behaviors can be linked to environmental and personal factors, there may also be implications for either policy change or adoption connected with health promotion efforts. Differences were also found in the perceived norms of the three clusters, with more extreme norms associated with students with higher risk behaviors. The patterns of these differences indicate more support for the introduction of use of the constructs of the Social Cognitive Theory for explaining and predicting health behaviors based upon personal and environmental factors. The use of these known factors can help identify and augment health promotion efforts at the college level.

Health Behaviors

Health Behaviors
Author: Janeil A. Mihalow
Publisher:
Total Pages: 110
Release: 2010
Genre: College freshmen
ISBN:

Health Behaviors and Life Satisfaction in College Students

Health Behaviors and Life Satisfaction in College Students
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2008
Genre: Body mass index
ISBN:

This study explored the relationship between a variety of health behaviors and life satisfaction in college students. University students (N=794) enrolled in a midwestern university during the Fall, 2006 and Spring, 2007 semester, completed an online Health Behavior Assessment designed to measure body mass index (BMI), frequency of physical activity behavior, fruit and vegetable consumption, sleep behavior, alcohol use, frequency of use of stress-management skills, stage of change for physical activity, stage of change for fruit and vegetable consumption, stage of change for frequency of stress-management skills, and life satisfaction. As predicted, significant correlations were found between life satisfaction and BMI, frequency of physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and frequency of use of stress- management skills. Students who regularly received 6-8 hours of sleep showed higher levels of life satisfaction. Students in the maintenance stage of change for physical activity behavior and stress-management skill use were found to have higher levels of life satisfaction compared to individuals in earlier stages of change. Results indicated that increased life satisfaction is related to a variety of health behaviors in college students.

Health and Academic Achievement

Health and Academic Achievement
Author: Blandina Bernal-Morales
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2018-09-19
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1789237300

Emotional, physical and social well-being describe human health from birth. Good health goes hand in hand with the ability to handle stress for the future. However, biological factors such as diet, life experiences such as drug abuse, bullying, burnout and social factors such as family and community support at the school stage tend to mold health problems, affecting academic achievements. This book is a compilation of current scientific information about the challenges that students, families and teachers face regarding health and academic achievements. Contributions also relate to how physical activity, psychosocial support and other interventions can be made to understand resilience and vulnerability to school desertion. This book will be of interest to readers from broad professional fields, non-specialist readers, and those involved in education policy.

Interpreting and Using Statistics in Psychological Research

Interpreting and Using Statistics in Psychological Research
Author: Andrew N. Christopher
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 585
Release: 2016-08-30
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 150630415X

This practical, conceptual introduction to statistical analysis by award-winning teacher Andrew N. Christopher uses published research with inherently interesting social sciences content to help students make clear connections between statistics and real life. Using a friendly, easy-to-understand presentation, Christopher walks students through the hand calculations of key statistical tools and provides step-by-step instructions on how to run the appropriate analyses for each type of statistic in SPSS and how to interpret the output. With the premise that a conceptual grasp of statistical techniques is critical for students to truly understand why they are doing what they are doing, the author avoids overly formulaic jargon and instead focuses on when and how to use statistical techniques appropriately.