Quantitative Approaches to Community College Student Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Objective: Health is an important factor in college student success yet is not as well understood in two-year colleges as it is in traditional, four-year institutions. This systematic literature review aimed to determine the health topics that have been studied in community colleges and what data sources have been used. Additionally, this paper aimed to determine what questions can be answered with the available measurement tools and datasets. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed to screen, assess, and synthesize the current knowledge base on community college student health research. Peer-reviewed articles published after 2010 that demonstrated quantitative or mixed methods approaches to studying community college student health were reviewed and assessed to determine the health topics studied in community colleges, and the data sources used to answer research questions. Results: Twenty-eight articles resulting from the search had a student health focus in community colleges and utilized a quantitative or mixed methods approach. The articles covered a variety of health topics, but most fell into the categories of veteran health and needs, sexual and reproductive health, weight management, mental health, alcohol and substance use, and health programming. Study-specific surveys were a common measurement tool, along with health questionnaires and surveys, the ACHA-NCHA II, Healthy Minds, and the CHOICES study. Contributions: This paper provides a synthesis of the current health topics studied in community colleges, the tools available for such research, and suggestions for facilitating further research to evaluate the relationship between health and academic outcomes in community colleges.