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Health and health-related behavior play a significant role in college students' academic performance. Unhealthy students and those who engage in risky health behaviors can have problems resulting in missed classes and lower grades. This study explored college students' health perceptions and behaviors, illness, and access to health care, and examined how they varied with respect to demographic characteristics. In a convenience survey of397 students, data were gathered on demographics (gender. race, living arrangements, and age) as well as selected health-related behaviors, access to healthcare, and perceptions of health and the extent to which health issues impacted academic success. Females and African Americans were more likely to spend more time on social media and have poor sleep patterns. Students who lived on campus reported less fruit and vegetable intake, greater social media involvement, and lower levels of overall health than those living off campus. African American and non-traditional students were more likely to be without health insurance. Several issues were perceived to negatively impact academic success including anxiety/stress and financial difficulties. Findings help identify health issues facing subgroups of students who may be targeted by universities for support and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To outline the development, implementation, and evaluation of a multistrategy intervention to promote active transportation, on a large university campus.Design: Single group pilot study.Setting: A large university in the Northeastern United States.Participants: University students (n = 563), faculty and staff (employees, n = 999) were included in the study.Intervention: The Active Lions campaign aimed to increase active transportation to campus for all students and employees. The campaign targeted active transport participation through the development of a smartphone application and the implementation of supporting social marketing and social media components.Measures: Component-specific measures included app user statistics, social media engagement, and reach of social marketing strategies. Overall evaluation included cross-sectional online surveys preintervention and postintervention of student and employee travel patterns and campaign awareness.Analysis: Number of active trips to campus were summed, and the percentage of trips as active was calculated. T tests compared the differences in outcomes from preintervention to postintervention.Results: Students had a higher percentage of active trips postintervention (64.2%) than preintervention (49.2%; t = 3.32, P = .001), although there were no differences for employees (7.9% and 8.91%). Greater awareness of Active Lions was associated with greater active travel.Conclusion: This multistrategy approach to increase active transportation on a college campus provided insight on the process of developing and implementing a campaign with the potential for impacting health behaviors among campus members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: overweight and obesity have been increasing, and university students are an important target for prevention programs. Previous studies have reported differences in the diagnosis between different anthropometric methods, so some students can be misclassified depending on the method used.Objective: to evaluate the efficacy of different anthropometric methods to detect those university students in a probable status of overweight, including a comparison with a new proposed method, the normalized weight-adjusted index (NWAI).Methods: different anthropometric methods (waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, waist-height ratio, body mass index, conicity index, bioimpedance and Brozek, Siri and Heath-Carter equations) were calculated for 505 university students. By k-means cluster analysis, students with higher values according to variables involved in overweight were identified. Parameters of accuracy were calculated by operating characteristic curves.Results: NWAI showed significant correlations with the most used methods. Prevalence of students with body fat excess varied from 5.9% to 48.4% for women and from 8.5% to 49.0% for men depending of the method employed, being demonstrated a great variability between the different methodologies. Body mass index for women and waist circumference for men resulted to be the most accurate methods to detect a probable situation of excess of body fat or cardiovascular risk associated. NWAI resulted also a good alternative for overweight classification.Conclusions: differences between anthropometric methods for overweight and cardiovascular disease risk classification were confirmed. Classical cut-off point may misdiagnose overweight or health risk in Spanish university students depending of the method employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol consumption is common in college attending populations and can have a negative impact on an individual's academic, physical, and mental health. Previous research suggests that living at home could act as a protective measure. The current research looks at potential mediators of the association between living with parents while attending college and amount of alcohol consumed. In particular, this study examined access to alcohol, parental involvement, and perception of peer drinking as mediators of the association. This study examined freshman data collected from a survey conducted at a large public university in the mid-Atlantic United States. A pathway model was fit to test the relationships between residence status, access to alcohol, parental involvement, and perception of peer drinking on alcohol consumption. We observed statistically significant indirect effects of residence status on alcohol consumption through the perception of peer drinking and access to alcohol. Parental involvement was significantly related to lower alcohol consumption and there was a direct effect of residence status on alcohol consumption. There were significant indirect effects of residence status on alcohol consumption through both peer drinking and access to alcohol. Parental involvement was associated with decreased alcohol consumption, with no indirect effect in association with residence status. These effects were persistent in the presence of a range of covariates, including age, gender, ethnicity, and parental education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to understand which racial/ethnic student groups experience food insecurity and the extent to which other external insecurities and challenges are predictive of acute food insecurity. Data were derived from the Community College Success Measure (CCSM), an institutional needs assessment tool used by colleges to examine challenges facing underserved students. Findings from this research demonstrated that multiethnic and Black students are most likely to experience food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Sexual violence (SV) on college campuses is common, especially alcohol-related SV. This is a 2-arm cluster randomized controlled trial to test a brief intervention to reduce risk for alcohol-related sexual violence (SV) among students receiving care from college health centers (CHCs). Intervention CHC staff are trained to deliver universal SV education to all students seeking care, to facilitate patient and provider comfort in discussing SV and related abusive experiences (including the role of alcohol). Control sites provide participants with information about drinking responsibly. Methods Across 28 participating campuses (12 randomized to intervention and 16 to control), 2292 students seeking care at CHCs complete surveys prior to their appointment (baseline), immediately after (exit), 4 months later (T2) and one year later (T3). The primary outcome is change in recognition of SV and sexual risk. Among those reporting SV exposure at baseline, changes in SV victimization, disclosure, and use of SV services are additional outcomes. Intervention effects will be assessed using generalized linear mixed models that account for clustering of repeated observations both within CHCs and within students. Results Slightly more than half of the participating colleges have undergraduate enrollment of ≥ 3000 students; two-thirds are public and almost half are urban. Among participants there were relatively more Asian (10 v 1%) and Black/African American (13 v 7%) and fewer White (58 v 74%) participants in the intervention compared to control. Conclusions This study will offer the first formal assessment for SV prevention in the CHC setting. Clinical Trials #: NCT02355470 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) persists into adolescence and adulthood; however, few studies have analyzed the experiences of university students with ADHD. This study explored the difficulties experienced by university students with ADHD symptoms. Methods: Between December 2015 and February 2016, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 12 university students with self-reported ADHD symptoms. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Difficulties in university life were classified into four main themes (lack of daily routine, unsatisfactory academic performance and achievement, reduced interpersonal skills, and continuing worries) and analyzed. University students with ADHD symptoms had difficulties coping with repeated cycles of negative thoughts and worries, irregular lifestyles due to poor time management, dissatisfaction with academic performance and interpersonal relationships, self-dissatisfaction, and decreased self-esteem. Conclusion: To improve their university experience, students with ADHD should receive education about ways to stop worrying, to express emotions healthily, and to manage time efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the ways in which medical abortion pills are obtained and used by university students in Chile in a clandestine context.Study Design: Using a qualitative approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with 30 young women who had had a medical abortion between 2006 and 2016 while attending university. We recorded the details of their pathways to abortion and their experience of abortion, and how they used networks in the university to find the pills and learn how to use them. The interviews were analyzed using narrative content analysis.Results: The findings show that medical abortion did not take place completely outside the healthcare system for these students, who accessed ultrasound scans pre- and post-abortion and post-abortion care. However, even with help and support from contacts, partners and friends, the clandestine situation created uncertainty and fear, which dominated the whole process, from finding and purchasing the pills, to uncertainty about correct doses and whether the abortion was going as it should and was complete or not. There was a high perception that failure and complications might be occurring, which led many of them to seek post-abortion care. The process was very demanding, requiring information, time, privacy to have the abortion, support and resources, and the ability to deal with risk.Conclusions: Medical abortion allowed these young women to have safe abortions in terms of reduced risks to health and autonomy through self-management. However, clandestinity made them physically, socially and emotionally vulnerable and exposed them to the risk of normative, violent judgments during post-abortion care.Implications: Access to medical abortion has transformed the experience of abortion in Chile, where abortion is illegal, because it is possible to use it safely and effectively outside healthcare settings. However, uncertainty, fear and risk will continue to dominate the experience, which can only be transformed by making abortion legal and available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence of food insecurity among students at a large mid-Atlantic publicly funded university; examine the association between food insecurity, demographic characteristics, potential financial risk factors, and self-reported physical and mental health and academic performance; and identify possible risk factors for food insecurity.Design: Cross-sectional survey.Setting: Large, public mid-Atlantic university.Participants: Two hundred thirty-seven undergraduate students.Measures: US Department of Agriculture (USDA) 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) and questions on demographics, student status, economic factors, housing stability, living arrangements, academic performance, and self-rated physical health and depression symptoms.Analysis: Multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results: Among students surveyed, 15% were food insecure; an additional 16% were at risk of food insecurity. Students who were African American, other race/ethnicity, receiving multiple forms of financial aid, or experiencing housing problems were more likely to be food insecure or at the risk of food insecurity (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 4.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.83-8.71, P value < .0001; AOR = 5.26, 95% CI = 1.85-14.98, P value = .002; AOR = 3.43, 95% CI = 1.85-6.37, P value <.001; AOR = 8.00, 95% CI = 3.57-17.93, P value < .0001, respectively). Food secure students were less likely to report depression symptoms than at-risk or food insecure students.Conclusion: Food insecurity among college students is an important public health concern that might have implications for academic performance, retention, and graduation rates. Universities that measure food insecurity among their students will be better positioned to advocate for policy changes at state and federal levels regarding college affordability and student financial assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Though the incidence of Testicular cancer among young is rising, little attention is given to promoting testicular self-examination which is recommended for its early prevention in developing countries. This study aimed to assess testicular self-examination and associated factors among Bahir Dar University students using integrated behavioral model.Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted among Bahir Dar University students in September, 2016. Systematic sampling technique was used to select 884 participants. Data was collected using self-administer questionnaire, entered into EPI Data 3.1 and exported to SPSS 21 for analysis. Path analysis was done using STATA 14.2 to check causal effect of integrated behavioral model constructs on testicular self-examination. Internal reliability of the items was checked using Cronbach's alpha. Multivariable linear and Logistic regression were used to predict the role of independent variable on Intention and TSE respectively. Findings with p-value <0.05 at 95% confidence interval were considered as statistically significant in the final model.Results: Only 11.8% of the students practiced testicular self-examination in the previous year. Experiential and Instrumental attitude, Perceived control and Self-efficacy were significantly predicted behavioral intention with β coefficient 0.33, 0.12, -0.08 and 0.36. Students' academic unit [OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.15-0.63], educational status of student's father AOR = 2.25; CI: 1.15-4.44] and [AOR = 3.00; CI: 1.36-6.64], Intention [OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1-1.31], Know-how of TSE [OR = 3.35, 95% CI:1.94-5.80] and knowledge [AOR = 3.93; CI: 2.30-6.72] were the significant predictors of testicular self-examination. The finding of path analysis also demonstrated as Experiential and Instrumental attitude, Perceived control and Self-efficacy have significant effect on intention with path coefficient of 0.33, 0.12, -0.07 and 0.36. Intention, Knowledge and Know-how have effect on testicular self-examination with path coefficient of 0.2, 0.36 and 0.22 respectively.Conclusions: Magnitude of testicular self-examination is low among university students and it is a product of the type of the college, family educational status, intention, Know-how and knowledge. So, behavior change communication strategy that focus on these behavioral factors should be designed and implemented to improve students' regular practice of testicular self-examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We examined the receptivity of non-college young adult hookah users to health warning labels. Methods: We conducted in-person qualitative interviews with 23 hookah users, aged 18-29 in Austin, Texas, who were not currently enrolled in college/university. Data were transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed using NVivo Pro, version 11. Results: Gaps in knowledge were evident regarding the level of chemical exposure, cancer risks, and negative health consequences of hookah use. Respondents preferred warning labels that factually listed health consequences rather than labels that used "sensationalistic" wording (eg, "kills") or technical terms. Participants thought placement of hookah warning labels would be most effective on product packaging or on the door of establishments selling hookah. Respondents thought most of the warning labels would be effective in deterring hookah use; however, the majority stated they would likely continue to use hookah over the next year. Conclusions: Non-college-attending young adult hookah users preferred hookah health warning labels that are simple, factual, informative, and non-sensationalistic. These results may inform regulations regarding the packaging of tobacco products, specifically in the design and placement of warning labels, which may result in better user message receptivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose was to examine the effectiveness of a signage intervention in a university library to promote the use of active (AB) compared to inactive (IB) study breaks. College-age students (n=458) were observed over three weeks; pre, intervention, and post-intervention. Table tents and signs posted in the library encouraged students to take AB. Two trained researchers collected data using systematic observation. AB was higher during the intervention compared to pre- and post- (p≤0.05) and IB were lower compared to pre (p≤0.05). Visual reminders while studying may positively influence activity, and may be necessary for continued AB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review evaluates various theoretical underpinnings, which may contribute to a better understanding of the effects of Facebook use on subjective well-being among college students. The author conducted a PubMed search of experimental studies conducted within a young adult population. Eligible participant data was delimited to undergraduate or graduate students, who were required to be current Facebook users. Six studies were chosen for the review. The findings suggest that Facebook usage may be positively associated with subjective well-being via several theoretical mechanisms founded in social psychology. These findings provide preliminary evidence that Facebook may offer its users unique opportunities to tailor their online self-presentation to assuage the impact of negative psychosocial stimuli presented in real-world environments. Innovative strategies should be conceived to assess the possible relationship between Facebook use and enhanced subjective well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aromatherapy with essential oils is one of the most popular complementary medical tools for improving sleep quality. However, only a few reports have objectively measured the effects of essential oils on sleep. Here, we used objective and subjective measures to analyze the effects of the essential oils of lavender ( Lavandula angustifolia) and sweet orange ( Citrus sinensis) on the sleep quality of healthy university students. The participants were monitored for 15 consecutive nights as they inhaled lavender oil and sweet orange oil, in a crossover design. Their sleep was monitored objectively by actigraphy, and total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency, sleep latency, and wake after sleep onset (WASO) were analyzed. Their sleep was analyzed subjectively using Oguri-Shirakawa-Azumi (OSA) sleep inventory scores. Inhalation of an essential oil improved sleep measures only in participant whose sleep quality was poor in the control condition. Lavender seemed more effective than sweet orange in objective measures, especially in improving sleep latency. In the subjective sleep analysis, the essential oils improved sleep maintenance, dreaming, and sleep length in subjects who had poor sleep quality. Sweet orange seemed more effective than lavender in the subjective sleep measures. The difference between the two oils suggests that expectancy bias had little effect on the hypnotic effect of lavender on objective sleep. Although no obvious effect was observed in good sleepers, the inhalation of lavender oil could be effective for helping poor sleepers improve objective sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Internet provides tremendous educational benefits for college students and also provided better opportunities for communication, information, and social interaction for young adults; however, excessive internet use can lead to negative psychological well-being (PWB). Objective: The present study was conducted with the objective to find out the relationship between internet addiction and PWB of college students. Materials and Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out in college students of Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh, India. A total of 461 college students, using internet for at least past 6 months were included in this study. Young's Internet addiction scale, consisting of 20-item, based on five-point Likert scale was used to calculate internet addiction scores and 42-item version of the Ryff's PWB scale based on six-point scale was used in this study. Results: A total of 440 questionnaire forms were analyzed. The mean age of students was 19.11 (±1.540) years, and 62.3% were male. Internet addiction was significantly negatively correlated to PWB (r = –0.572, P < 0.01) and subdimensions of PWB. Students with higher levels of internet addiction are more likely to be low in PWB. Simple linear regression showed that internet addiction was a significant negative predictor of PWB. Conclusion: PWB of college students negatively affected by internet addiction. Hence, it is essential to develop strategies for prevention of internet addiction which is very important for promoting PWB of college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: College students are at higher than average risk for nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NPS). A commonly identified motive among students who engage in NPS is to improve grades. Several research studies have observed that NPS most likely does not confer an academic advantage, and is associated with excessive drinking and other drug use. This study documents the proportion of the general college student population who believe that NPS will lead to improvements in academic performance.Methods: This study gathered online survey data from a large, demographically diverse sample of college students to document the prevalence of perceived academic benefit of NPS for improving grades and to examine the association between such belief and NPS.Results: Overall, 28.6% agreed or strongly agreed that NPS could help students earn higher grades, and an additional 38.0% were unsure. Students with a higher level of perceived academic benefit of NPS and more frequent patterns of drinking and marijuana use were more likely to engage in NPS, even after adjustment for a wide range of covariates.Conclusions: The results underscore the need for interventions that simultaneously correct misperceptions related to academic benefit and target alcohol and marijuana use to reduce NPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose was to determine if there was a relationship between students' fast food eating behavior patterns and perceptions of how much health control they think they have. Data was collected via an online survey over two semesters, resulting in a usable response of 706 students. After providing a profile of respondents, the students' fast-food eating behavior is summarized. Nutrition awareness and responses to health locus of control statements are discussed next. A series of factor analyses resulted in a six-factor model, but it failed reliability tests. The authors discuss suggestions for future research as well as study limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to calculate a total daily sedentary time for the undergraduate population at a large urban Canadian University and investigate student perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to engaging in a less sedentary lifestyle. A sample of 335 participants responded to an online questionnaire that included the SIT-Q and open-ended questions, with 102 providing sufficient data to be included in the quantitative analysis and 145 in the qualitative analysis. Students spent an average of 11.88 ± 3.46 hrs/day engaged in sedentary behaviors. Three themes were identified as facilitators to engaging in a less sedentary lifestyle: 1) access to a gym, 2) student jobs, and 3) walking to and on campus. Two themes were identified as barriers to engaging in a less sedentary lifestyle: 1) sitting in class and 2) studying outside of class. Similar to desk-based working adults, undergraduate students have levels of sedentary behavior that warrant further investigation and intervention, perhaps most effectively within the university classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China faces many challenges in controlling tuberculosis (TB). One significant challenge is the control of college students' TB. In particular, cross-sectional studies of college students' knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) in regard to TB have attracted substantial attention. However, few measurement tools have been developed to aid processes related to expert consultation, pre-testing, reliability and validity testing. Our study developed the College Students' TB Knowledge Attitudes and Practices Questionnaire (CS-TBKAPQ) following the scale development steps.Methods: The construction of the CS-TBKAPQ was based on the Theory of Knowledge, Attitude, Belief, and Practice (KABP or KAP). The item pool was compiled from literature reviews and individual interviews. The reliability validation was assessed by calculating Cronbach's α coefficient, the split-half reliability coefficient, and the test-retest reliability coefficient. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using the World Health Organization Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilization KAP Survey Questionnaire (WHO-TBKAPQ) as the reference standard.Results: A total of 31 questionnaire items were proposed. Cronbach's α coefficient, the split-half reliability coefficient and the test-retest reliability coefficient were 0.86, 0.78 and 0.91. Four factors that explained 62.52% of the total variance were also identified in EFA and confirmed in CFA. The CFA model fit indices were x 2 /df = 1.82 (p < 0.001), GFI = 0.925, AGFI = 0.900, RMR = 0.068, and RMSEA = 0.049. The CS-TBKAPQ was significantly correlated with the WHO-TBKAPQ and the Chinese Public TB KAP Questionnaire (CDC-TBKAPQ) developed by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (r = 0.59, 0.60, p < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) analysis suggested a cut-off point of 47.5, with which the CS-TBKAPQ showed a sensitivity of 73.63% and a specificity of 80.51% in identifying students with low-level KAP. The positive and negative predictive values were 83.23% and 69.91%.Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate that the CS-TBKAPQ is a reliable and valid tool for measuring the KAP towards TB in college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite well-established links between exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and skin cancer, UVR-based tanning behaviors persist among college students. Understanding tanning motivations, perceptions, barriers, and demographic characteristics of this population is critical to modifying these behaviors, but is limited by variability in study design, sample size, and outcomes measured in the current literature. To help clarify the tanning behaviors of this population and provide a concise reference for future studies, this review examines existing reports to determine the comparability of tanning behaviors across multiple U.S. college populations. A systematic review of the literature was performed in July 2016 to identify studies investigating tanning behaviors among U.S. college students. Twenty-three studies met inclusion criteria. High rates of indoor tanning (IT) and outdoor tanning (OT) were found among college students. Key motivators included appearance, emotion, health perceptions, and the influence of parents, peers, and the media. Misconceptions regarding skin protection, low rates of sun protective behaviors, and tanning dependence were barriers against safe UVR exposure. Understudied demographic factors may account for variance in observed tanning behaviors, emphasizing the need for standardization efforts to consistently identify trends associated with geographical region, age, year in college, and sex. The findings presented in this review reaffirm that college students are at high risk for tanning-associated skin cancer, emphasizing the critical need for effective, targeted interventions. Improved interventions will reduce the burden of skin cancer within this group, ultimately contributing to longer, healthier lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Public Security & Public Order / Visuomenes Saugumas ir Viesoji Tvarka is the property of Mykolas Romeris University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of interrelated disorders which occur together causing an increase in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The university population is an understudied group despite the increase in the frequency of related disorders and metabolic risk factors e.g. obesity and diabetes, majorly due to the assumption that they are in their most active phase of life therefore healthy. This study looked at metabolic syndrome, the sedentary lifestyles and dietary habits present among university students attending Mount Kenya University, main campus.Methods: Stratified sampling was used to select participants. Self-administered questionnaires were issued to participants after a signed consent had been obtained following which clinical assessments and biochemical measures were performed. They included blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, anthropometric measurements; height, weight, BMI and waist circumference. Pearson's chi-square tests and non-parametric independent t-test were used to analyze the prevalence of metabolic syndrome criteria per gender, the number of metabolic syndrome criteria per BMI and prevalence of metabolic syndrome criteria per BMI category.Results: The study established that 1.9% of the participants met the criteria for diagnosis of metabolic syndrome according to HJSS criteria. Among the elements, there was statistical difference in gender BMI and waist circumference. 11.8% of subjects had two metabolic syndrome components while 3.1% had three components while none of the subjects had all six components. Elevated triglycerides was the most prevalent defining component for metabolic syndrome. There is a statistically significant relationship between sedentary lifestyle and dietary habits as risk factors to metabolic syndrome.Conclusion: Young adults in university have begun developing metabolic syndrome and the risk of developing the syndrome continues to increase with the components being reported in early age. Educational initiatives to encourage healthy eating should be conducted within school premises in order to reinforce the message on healthy diets and physical exercise. Pre-admission screening to identify at risk students should be conducted. Targeted interventions development through a mandatory extra co-curricular program should be enforced to positively engage those at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coping is conceptualized as thoughts and actions or emotions, cognitions, and behaviors which an individual engages in to reduce, ameliorate or adjust to different stressors. Life satisfaction is one of the indicators of apparent quality of life. Together with indicators of mental and physical health, it indicates how well people thrive. Having effective coping mechanisms may be one of the most important predictors of well being across life span. Applications of coping strategies can increase a person's level of happiness. The aim of present study was to know the different coping strategies used by college girls of different faculties and their level of life satisfaction. The purpose was to seek whether there would be any difference in coping strategies used by students of Arts and Science Faculty and if there was any relation between coping strategy used and the level of life satisfaction. The coping strategies scale and life satisfaction scale were used for data collection. The sample comprised of 100 students (50 girls each) from Arts and Science faculty of Government Girls College Chomu, Jaipur. Statistical techniques of Pearson correlation and t-test were used to analyze the data. Significant difference was found in one of the coping strategy used by students of different faculty and significant relationship which was negative in both cases was seen between coping strategies of cognitive approach and cognitive avoidance and level of life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dementia is pressing problem for family and society. Next generation health care providers which are current healthcare program students are important part of professional caregiving system in future. Particularly, having good knowledge and attitudes towards dementia will be key elements in providing best care for people with dementia. Aim: The aim of this paper is to review the literature of the knowledge and attitudes towards dementia among college and university students. Materials and Methods: Academic Search Complete, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, Medline Complete, SocINDEX with full text, Education Research Complete and ERIC databases from January 2010 to March 2017 were used to identify relevant papers for this review. Key words used in the search were "knowledge," or "attitude," or "perception," or "opinion," or "belief," and Dementia," or "Alzheimer's," and "students." The inclusion criteria were peerreviewed academic journals, English language, focussed on knowledge, attitude, perception, opinion or beliefs towards Dementia or Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and studies that include college and university students as study sample. Meanwhile, the exclusion criteria were papers published before January 2010, non-English language papers, topics not related to knowledge and attitude towards Dementia and the study sample does not represent college and university students. Results: A total of eighteen studies on knowledge and attitudes towards dementia among college and university students were found and reviewed. Ten of the studies (55.56%) were experimental intervention programmes while seven (38.89%) were questionnaire surveys. However, one paper did not report the study design. The intervention programmes which included clinical hands-on experience with dementia patients consistently improved students knowledge and attitudes towards people living with dementia. Current evidence shows that there is room for improvement in the curricular, particularly for courses related to clinical healthcare services. conclusion: This review provides basis for future planning to improve the current curricular by addressing the gaps in knowledge, incorporating hands-on clinical experience as well as integrating interprofessional approaches into the teaching or training module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the success of university student volunteers in obtaining consent from parents to allow review of their child’s personal health information (PHI) for emergency research screening. This study also aimed to examine the variables associated with successful consent. This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted at a pediatric emergency department (ED). University students, who functioned as delegates of the health information custodian, approached parents for consent. Of 2,506 parents, 1,852 (73.9%) provided consent to allow review of their child’s PHI for research screening. Variables associated with successful consent were high (≥12 months) versus low (<12 months) volunteer experience (OR = 2.0), research related (vs. unrelated) to the child’s chief complaint (OR = 2.0), child treated regularly by specialists at the study institution (OR = 1.7), and ED presentation mid-week vs. weekend (OR = 1.7) and morning vs. evening presentation (OR = 1.4). When approached by a university student volunteer, about 25% of parents declined to have their child’s PHI reviewed for research screening. This model of obtaining consent may put some emergency research at risk for selection bias. Variables that increase the odds of successful consent can be considered in program design to improve the effectiveness of this model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study investigated the parameters of nocturnal sleep that mediate the relationship between morningness–eveningness preference and the sleep architecture of naps in university students. This study had a cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design. The sleep architecture of 52 students invited to take an afternoon nap in the laboratory was recorded. The morningness–eveningness questionnaire (MEQ) was used to evaluate morningness–eveningness preference. An actigraph was used to collect students’ nighttime sleep data in the week preceding the study. Polysomnography was used to measure the sleep architecture of the participants’ naps. After adjustments for potential factors, although the MEQ did not directly correlate with the percentage of sleep stages in naps, the effects of the MEQ on the percentage of Stage 1 sleep, slow-wave sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep; sleep duration; and sleep efficiency of naps were mediated by the total sleep time in the preceding week. This preliminary study suggests that nap quality was affected by morningness–eveningness preference through the mediation of total nocturnal sleep time. Therefore, future studies should be carefully designed to consider nighttime sleep patterns when analyzing the effects of chronotypes on daytime sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, eating behaviours and knowledge of food seasonality among college students who will become teachers were investigated. A questionnaire was administered to students to collect data on dietary habits, physical activity and awareness of food season. Two-hundred eighty students participated (95.4% female, 26±6 years old); 14% was overweight/obese, but 68% never practiced physical activity. Almost 76% were aware of differences between consumption of fruit in and out of season, but a poor knowledge of foodstuffs seasonality emerged. These findings underline the need of improving awareness on proper diet and food seasonality because of the societal role of these students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brief, web-based motivational interventions have shown promising results for reducing alcohol use and associated harm among college students. However, findings regarding which alcohol use outcomes are impacted are mixed and effects tend to be small to moderate, with effect sizes decreasing over longer-term follow-up periods. As a result, these interventions may benefit from adjunctive strategies to bolster students' engagement with intervention material and to extend interventions beyond initial contacts into student's daily lives. This study tested the efficacy of text messaging as an adjunct to a web-based intervention for heavy episodic drinking college students.Methods: One-hundred and thirteen undergraduate student risky drinkers recruited from an introductory psychology class were randomly assigned to one of three conditions-assessment only (AO), web intervention (WI), and web intervention plus text messaging (WI+TXT). Heavy drinking episodes (HDEs), weekend quantity per occasion, and alcohol-related consequences were assessed at baseline and one month follow-up. Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to assess the influence of condition assignment on 1-month outcomes, controlling for baseline variables.Results: Planned contrasts showed that those in the WI+TXT condition showed significantly less weekend drinking than those in the AO and WI conditions. Although those in the WI+TXT condition showed significantly fewer HDEs compared to AO, it was not significantly different than the WI only condition. No differences were observed on alcohol-related problems.Discussion: These findings provide partial support for the view that text messaging may be a useful adjunct to web-based interventions for reducing alcohol consumption among student drinkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objectives: Body shape (BSP) and body image (BI) are part of the external physical structure, then modifications in body shape necessarily affect body image; however, both combined have not been studied. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the statistical relationship between BSP and BI in university students.Method: Two hundred and ninety-six participants (17-35 years) were included in this study. Different anthropometric measurements were used to define their somatotype (BSP), body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference (WC). In addition, a questionnaire on body image perception was applied (McElhone et al.), regarding "how do I look?", "how do I think others see me?", "how do others see me?", and "how do I want to look like?".Results: On average, men perceived themselves in normal weight; in contrast, women perceived themselves as overweight. Men were meso-endomorphic, while women were endo-mesomorphic as an average.Conclusion: Body shape measured as somatotype as well as WC and WHR were excellent determinants of body image. Participants who presented a higher endomorphy, WC and WHR and a lower ectomorphy had a higher appreciation of being overweight or obese and wish to become thinner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent to which clients understand the nature and anticipated course of therapy is referred to as informed consent. Counseling psychologists often provide informed consent documents to enhance the education of services and for liability purposes. Professionals in numerous health care settings have evaluated the readability of their informed consent documents, but no such peer-reviewed research exists for university counseling centers. This study evaluated the informed consent documents for psychotherapy from university counseling centers using three readability formulas (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease Score, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook [SMOG] Grading). The findings support the authors’ exploratory hypotheses that informed consent documents in university counseling centers are rated as challenging to read for college students. Recommendations and implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of integrated centers on college campuses that combine health services and counseling provide clear advantages for students. There is currently no “best practices” model that informs integrated centers’ operational procedures. The “continuity of care” requirement of medical providers can conflict with the strict confidentiality guidelines of counselors, especially as it pertains to the sharing of patient information. Current informed consent procedures also contain deficiencies that should be addressed in integrated centers. Centers might refer to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards which accord psychotherapy notes special status, excluding them from medical records. As we consider the stigma that is still attached to pursuing counseling services, we need to establish a system within integrated centers that does not pose additional barriers to students’ help-seeking behaviors. Despite the challenges, positive collaboration can occur between medical providers and mental health personnel in devising documentation and record sharing procedures that safeguard student patients’ privacy interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research points to significant numbers of students on college campuses experiencing mental health distress and an ever increasing number of college students who are choosing to make an off-campus educational experience a part of their college careers. When we consider both of these trends together, it is quite apparent that a significant number of students with mental health concerns will spend periods of time studying away from campus, with converging concerns among college mental health and study away professionals about how to best support these students. This article seeks to outline both challenges and opportunities inherent in the collaboration between campus professionals in supporting students with mental health issues before and during their study away experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors outline a four-factor model and philosophy for college mental health services that addresses the loss of comprehensiveness in some centers due to changes in organizational structure. Given research on demand for services and retention of those seen in centers, emphasis is placed in particular upon the value of consultation, outreach, and training work across the entire campus community. The model challenges some assumptions made by proponents of integrated care, including its definition, and illustrates the benefits of establishing and maintaining a fully comprehensive college counseling service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant research has shown that incidental haptic sensations can, nonconsciously, influence judgements of objects or people that are non-diagnostic (unrelated) for the actual qualities of the items being judged - including interpersonal judgements. Evidence suggests that this could also be true for intrapersonal judgements. The application of this conception to the use of personality questionnaires lead to the following hypothesis: incidental exposure to a specific haptic experience (firmness or flimsiness of the paper) could, nonconsciously, trigger physically grounded mental frameworks, which, in turn, may effect the intrapersonal judgements of individuals completing a personality questionnaire. A randomized post-test only, one-way experimental design was conducted using a sample of university students (n = 178). The experiment found evidence to support the hypothesis that a physically grounded mental framework, consistent with embodied cognition, could nonconsciously lead participants to form stronger self-judgements on agreeableness and extraversion, when encountering an incidental haptic experience of firmness in a personality questionnaire. The findings of this research may serve to create awareness of the influence of incidental haptic sensations as a confounding variable in questionnaire design. Implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study is to examine the motivation of students from Trakia University to participate actively in physical education classes and sports. A survey as an express method of assessing students' motivation for sports activities is conducted. Different aspects of their sports interests are studied. It is established that students have positive attitude towards physical education classes and sports. Insufficient awareness of students with regard to all the benefits of practicing physical exercises and sports is registered. Because of the high demand during the educational process, students do not have enough free time for additional sports activities. Based on the obtained results, the following recommendations are proposed: to create conditions for inclusion of all students in additional sports; students to obtain theoretical knowledge on the use, effects and benefits of practicing physical exercises and sports; students to acquire knowledge and skills for individual sports activities, and to improve and upgrade the facilities of the university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have documented health and psychological benefits associated with exercise in the outdoors. However, questions still exist about the perceived benefits of and commitment to outdoor exercise throughout the seasons in a northern climate, and little is known about the outdoor exercise patterns and experiences of the college student demographic. A survey was conducted with undergraduate students (N = 502) in order to assess the year-round patterns and perceived benefits, barriers, and experiences they associate with outdoor exercise. Cluster analysis was used to group participants according to indoor/outdoor exercise patterns, and the groups' perceived benefits, barriers, and outdoor exercise experiences were compared using ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests. The three identified indoor/outdoor exercise groups (year-round outdoor, seasonal outdoor, and indoor) differed in exercise patterns where the year-round outdoor group yielded greater total exercise scores as compared with the other groups. Participants in all three groups believed there were benefits to outdoor over indoor exercise, and the groups did not differ in terms of what those benefits were. The year-round outdoor group was less affected by certain outdoor exercise barriers and rated environmental experience items such as comfort, interest in trying new activities, and connection to the natural environment higher than the indoor group. Areas for further research were noted including identifying when (i.e., with how much experience) outdoor exercise becomes perceptually easier and what types and quantities of outdoor exercise foster a sense of empowerment that is motivating for healthy outdoor and total exercise patterns. Suggestions for college outdoor fitness facilities and programs were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses a stress carryover perspective to examine the association between school spillover and mental and behavioral health outcomes among college undergraduates. School spillover occurs when the obligations and pressures of student life extend into other domains through shared behaviors or stress. The sample ( N = 250) consisted of undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 29 enrolled at a midsized midwestern university. Findings showed that on average, students reported a moderate level of school spillover. Among mental health outcomes, school spillover was positively associated with feeling nervous, restless or fidgety, worthless, depressed, and hopeless. Among behavioral health outcomes, results showed that school spillover was negatively associated with sleep hours per night and positively associated with number of sex partners. Contrary to past empirical studies, school spillover was not significantly associated with drinking or binge drinking. Findings have implications for those who work in student support and campus mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University stage is a sensitive moment about doing physical activity (PA), especially in women. The main objective of this study was to identify the barriers to PA in university students and analyze possible differences in gender and compliance with PA guidelines established in adults by World Health Organization (2010). 901 students (M = 22.59; SD = 3.59) completed the IPAQ-SF and the Scale of Perceived Barriers. Among the results, the barriers related to lack of time obtained the highest values among the university population. The MANOVA showed that students who failing to meet PA guidelines perceived higher values in most analyzed barriers than the students who meet PA guidelines. Likewise, women who met the PA guidelines presented higher values in all the barriers analyzed than the men who met the PA guidelines. In addition, women who failing to meet PA guidelines presented higher values in the barriers related to time and disliking of PA than the men who failing to meet PA guidelines. In summary, this study showed a high prevalencia of barriers in university students, especially in women. The results highlight the importance of developing health policies and PA interventions targeting university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the menstrual cycle on the anaerobic power of short duration in healthy adult women. Methods: Twenty-one subjects submitted to three Wingate tests. The following indicators were assessed: anthropometric measurements, body composition, physical activity level, maximum power average, fatigue index, and heart rate. Initially, the Wilcoxon test was made for analysis of heart rate during recovery. Results: The findings suggest no statistically significant difference between the mid-follicular phase and late luteal for absolute power peak (508.19-503.29), and relative (8.95-8.80), mean absolute power (357.52-354.24) and relative (6.32-6.18), respectively. However, the maximum heart rate was lower and significant (180.48-183.90, p = 0.01) in the mid-follicular phase. Conclusion: The mid-follicular and late luteal phases of the menstrual cycle have no influence on the performance of anaerobic power of short duration in college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To determine the prevalence of joint hypermobility ( JH) among young Kuwaiti adults. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 390 randomly selected healthy undergraduate university students, aged 18-29 years from the Health Sciences Centre, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait. Beighton score at four peripheral sites bilaterally (knees, elbows, thumbs and fifth fingers) and forward flexion of the trunk were used to evaluate joint hypermobility. Any student who met four out of the nine criteria was considered hypermobile. Joint pain was documented in all subjects through personal interview. Results A total of 390 subjects (male : female ratio 1.0 : 0.9) were assessed. Of those, 87 (22.3%) were found to have JH: 60 (29.4%) males and 27 (14.5%) females, showing a significantly higher male predominance ( P < 0.001). Beighton score was inversely correlated with age (ρ = −0.15, P = 0.003). A higher incidence of finger signs was noted in comparison to elbow-knee hyperextension and hands-to-floor. Knee joint, back, neck and shoulder pains, in descending order, were the commonest type of joint complaints, although not statistically significant ( P > 0.05) in subjects with and without joint hypermobility. It was also observed that the left side, at all the sites, was slightly more hypermobile in comparison to the right side in hypermobile subjects. Conclusions The prevalence of joint hypermobility is not uncommon among young Kuwaiti adults, and was comparable to the data published in other Asian-Pacific regions. General practitioners should therefore be familiar with the condition and its clinical associations, while assessing musculoskeletal complaints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study aimed to determine the opinions and attitudes of a university population regarding the regulation of sugar-sweetened beverages in a university setting, primarily looking at differences in opinion between younger adults (under 30 years of age) and older adults (30 years of age or older).Methods: An online survey was conducted at an Australian university in April-May 2016 using a convenience sample of students and staff between the ages of 16 and 84 years. The survey included questions about consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and level of agreement and support of proposed sugar-sweetened beverage interventions. Quantitative response data and qualitative open-ended response data were analysed.Results: Nine hundred thirteen responses from students and staff were analysed. In this population, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was low and awareness of the health risks of sugar-sweetened beverages was high. Overall, the surveyed population indicated more support for interventions that require higher levels of personal responsibility. The population did support some environment-centred, population-based interventions, such as increasing access to drinking water and reducing the price of healthier beverage alternatives. However there was less support for more restrictive interventions such as removing sugar-sweetened beverages from sale. Young adults tended to be less supportive of most interventions than older adults.Conclusions: These findings indicate there is some support for environment-centred, population-based approaches to reduce the availability and appeal of sugar-sweetened beverages in an adult environment such as a university setting. However these results suggest that public health may need to focus less on educating populations about the harms associated with sugar-sweetened beverages. Instead, there should be greater emphasis on explaining to populations and communities why environment-centred approaches relating to the sale and promotion of sugar-sweetened beverages should be prioritised over interventions that simply target personal responsibility and individual behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Internet enables an unprecedented opportunity to access a broad range of self-tests (e.g. testing for HIV, cancer, hepatitis B/C), which can be conducted by lay consumers without the help of a health professional. However, there is only little knowledge about the determinants of the use of self-tests. Thus, the aims of this study were (1) to experimentally investigate the impact of situational and application-related characteristics on the intention to use a self-test (ST), compared to being tested by a health professional at home (HPH) or at a doctor's office (HPD), (2) to examine the applicability of social-cognitive health behaviour theories on self-testing, and (3) to explore the advantages of integrating technological affinity into social-cognitive health behaviour models to predict self-testing.Methods: In a factorial survey, 1248 vignettes were rated by 208 students. The core concepts of social-cognitive health behaviour theories, technological affinity, and different situational and application-related characteristics were investigated.Results: Intention to ST was only predicted by the medical expertise of the tested person, while HPH and HPD were also associated with the application purpose of the test and the presence of an emotionally supporting person. Perceived severity and outcome-expectancy significantly predicted intention to self-test. Technological enthusiastic people had a higher intention to use a self-test.Conclusions: Intention to ST, HPH and HPD were predicted by different situational and application-related characteristics. Social-cognitive health behaviour theories can be applied to predict self-testing and do not need to be extended by technological affinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the amount of PA (physical activity) students obtain during college PA classes and reasons for enrolling in classes. Accelerometers measured PA levels of participants (n=66) in nine classes (archery, flying-disc, jogging, karate, spinning, swing dance, weight-training, Tai Chi, yoga) across six time points during one semester. Only one (flying-disc, period 3) of the 54 class periods accumulated enough PA to meet PA recommendations. Participants indicated reasons (e.g., increase PA) for taking the courses. Students did not obtain high levels of PA during course meeting times. College PA instructors should design courses to maximize time spent in PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]