Social Networks,Substance Use,and Mental Health in College Students

Abstract

Objectives: The relationship between social network risk (alcohol-using close friends), perceived peer closeness, substance use, and psychiatric symptoms was examined to identify risk and protective features of college students’ social context. Participants: Six hundred and seventy undergraduate students enrolled in a large southeastern university. Methods: An online survey was administered to consenting students. Results: Students with risky networks were at a 10-fold increase of hazardous drinking, 6-fold increase for weekly marijuana use, and 3-fold increase for weekly tobacco use. College students’ who feel very close to their peers were protected against psychiatric symptoms yet were at increased risk for marijuana use. Perceived closeness of peers was highly protective against psychiatric symptoms, adding a natural preventive effect for a population at great risk for mental illness. Conclusions: Results support targeting college students through network-oriented preventive interventions to address substance use as well as mental health.     

Perceptions About Residence Hall Wingmates and Alcohol-Related Secondhand Effects Among College Freshmen

Objective: The authors examined the secondhand effects among college freshmen of others' alcohol use and related student characteristics, and perceptions about residence hallmates.

Participants: The authors surveyed 509 incoming freshmen residing in predominantly freshman residence halls.

Methods: The authors administered a Web-based survey 2 months into the 2006 fall academic semester.

Results: Most (80%) students experienced at least 1 secondhand effect. Participants' perceptions of wingmates' acceptance and expectation of alcohol use and participants' perceived inability to protect themselves against alcohol problems were related to experiencing secondhand effects, as were being a female and a drinker.

Conclusions: Incoming college freshmen frequently experienced secondhand effects of alcohol use. Involving residence halls in norms-based interventions aimed at reducing secondhand effects warrants evaluation. Further research is also needed to examine skill building among college students to avoid and intervene into others' drinking and to examine resident advisor roles as both engenderers of trust and cooperation as well as enforcers of alcohol rules.     

Screening and Brief Intervention for Tobacco Use by Student Health Providers on College Campuses

Abstract

Objective: This study assessed college students’ reports of tobacco screening and brief intervention by student health center providers. Participants: Participants were 3,800 students from 8 universities in North Carolina. Methods: Web-based survey of a stratified random sample of undergraduates. Results: Fifty-three percent reported ever visiting their student health center. Of those, 62% reported being screened for tobacco use. Logistic regression revealed screening was higher among females and smokers, compared to nonsmokers. Among students who were screened and who reported tobacco use, 50% reported being advised to quit or reduce use. Brief intervention was more likely among current daily smokers compared to current nondaily smokers, as well as at schools with higher smoking rates. Screening and brief intervention were more likely at schools with lower clinic caseloads. Conclusions: Results highlight the need to encourage college health providers to screen every patient at every visit and to provide brief intervention for tobacco users.     

Demographic and Predeparture Factors Associated with Drinking and Alcohol-Related Consequences for College Students Completing Study Abroad Experiences

Abstract

Objective: Study abroad students are at risk for increased and problematic drinking behavior. As few efforts have been made to examine this at-risk population, the authors predicted drinking and alcohol-related consequences abroad from predeparture and site-specific factors. Participants: The sample consisted of 339 students completing study abroad programs. Methods: Participants filled out online measures at predeparture, abroad, and at postreturn. Results: The authors found that drinking and consequences abroad were predicted by a number of factors, including demographics (eg, younger age, male sex, Greek affiliation, white ethnicity), student factors (eg, low GPA, major area of study), study abroad site factors (eg, apartment living abroad, study in Europe), predeparture levels of drinking and consequences, sensation seeking, and goals related to social gathering. Conclusions: Findings can be used to inform campus policies for admission to study abroad programs as well as assist in the development of interventions targeted toward preventing risk for students during abroad experiences.     

Campus Walkability,Pedometer-Determined Steps,and Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity: A Comparison of 2 University Campuses

Objective and Participants: At 2 Arizona State University (ASU) campuses, the authors measured student activity and distance walked on campus, as well as student-reported walkability around the student union. Methods: Students from ASU-Polytechnic (n = 20, 33% male) and ASU-Tempe (n = 20, 60% male) recorded distance walked on campus and wore physical activity monitors for 5 days. Results: Polytechnic students spent an average of 36.9 minutes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week; Tempe students spent 69.5 minutes (p < .001). At Polytechnic, students walked an average of 7,674 steps per weekday; at Tempe, 11,294 steps (p = .003). Female students at Polytechnic walked an average of 1.3 km/d; at Tempe, 4.3 km/d (p < .001). At Polytechnic, men walked an average of 1.4 km/d; at Tempe, 3.1 km/d (p = .03). Tempe students rated campus walk-ability as very good, whereas Polytechnic students rated it fair (p < .001). Conclusions: Students at both campuses met activity recommendations; noted differences may be attributed to the built environment's contribution to walkability.     

Hospitalizations for Students With an Alcohol-Related Sanction: Gender and Pregaming as Risk Factors

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether pregaming (ie, drinking prior to a social event) is a risk factor for hospitalization. Participants: Participants (N = 516) were undergraduate students with an alcohol-related sanction. Methods: Participants completed a survey about alcohol use, as well as behaviors and experiences, prior to and during the referral event. The dependent variable was whether participants received medical attention at an emergency department during the sanction event. Results: Results indicated that older students, females who pregame, students with higher alcohol use screening scores, lighter drinkers, and higher numbers of drinks before the referral event all increased the odds of receiving medical attention. Pregaming alone was not significantly related to receiving medical attention in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Female students who pregame appear to be at risk for requiring hospitalization after drinking when controlling for the number of drinks consumed.     

Rapid response to a college outbreak of meningococcal serogroup B disease: Nation's first widespread use of bivalent rLP2086 vaccine

Objective: To outline the reasoning behind use of bivalent rLP2086 in a Rhode Island college meningococcal B disease outbreak, highlighting the timeline from outbreak declaration to vaccination clinic, emphasizing that these two time points are <3 days apart. Participants: Staff, faculty, and students at College X eligible for vaccination. Methods: An outbreak response was initiated, advantages/disadvantages of available MenB vaccines were discussed, and a vaccination clinic was coordinated. Results: Bivalent rLP2086 was chosen as the vaccination intervention. We achieved a 94% coverage rate for the first dose. To date, this intervention has prevented further cases of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B disease at College X. Conclusions: The close, efficient collaboration of public health stakeholders and College X led 94% of the eligible population to be safely vaccinated with at least one dose of bivalent rLP2086. This outbreak marked the first time bivalent rLP2086 was effectively used as an intervention response.     

The Role of Positive Alcohol Expectancies in Underage Binge Drinking Among College Students

Abstract

Objective: This study explored associations between positive alcohol expectancies, and demographics, as well as academic status and binge drinking among underage college students. Participants: A sample of 1,553 underage college students at 3 public universities and 1 college in the Southeast who completed the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey in the Spring 2013 semester. Methods: A series of bivariate analyses and logistic regression models were used to examine associations between demographic and academic status variables as well as positive alcohol expectancies with self-reported binge drinking. Positive alcohol expectancies were examined in multivariable models via 2 factors derived from principal component analyses. Results: Students who endorsed higher agreement of these 2 emergent factors (sociability, sexuality) were more likely to report an occurrence of binge drinking in the past 2 weeks. Conclusions: Study results document associations between positive alcohol expectancies and binge drinking among underage students; implications for prevention and treatment are discussed.     

Change IS Possible: Reducing High-Risk Drinking Using a Collaborative Improvement Model

Abstract

Objective: To describe the adoption of public health and improvement methodologies to address college students’ high-risk drinking behaviors and to aid in prevention efforts. Participants: Members of 32 colleges and universities, content experts, and staff members of the National College Health Improvement Program (NCHIP). Methods: A 2-year learning collaborative developed by NCHIP trained individuals from 32 different college and universities in using the Plan–Do–Study–Act cycle as a method to create and implement initiatives aimed at reducing students’ high-risk drinking behaviors and related harms. Results: Participants experienced success ranging from noteworthy increases in type and amount of interventions directed at reducing high-risk drinking, to creating collaboratives across campus, the local community, and stakeholders. Challenges related to data collection and creating lasting cultural change remain. Conclusions: The use of quality improvement methodologies and creation of a national collaborative successfully effected meaningful change in high-risk drinking behaviors on college campuses.     

… the (unbearable) ‘in-betweenness’ of being …

ABSTRACT

It seems that there are no clear and mutually exclusive categories of modernity and traditionalism in modern Africa. Modernity still includes forms of traditionalism and at the same time modernity creates its own traditions in what Kaphagawani terms as C4-Contemporary Confluence of Cultures on the Continent of Africa.

We need to position ourselves somewhere between the over-romanticized idea of a golden era in the past and an overly pessimistic view of the family as a disappearing primary care institution; between the “warm, loving, caring, socially-oriented …” African generations and the “cold technology-oriented” Western generations. This search for a relative social realitywill be dealt with by a narrative/discursive approach. This framework should, for a start, aim towards intergenerational programmes with at least one of three outcomes: transmission of positive values, relevant imageries and a developmental approach.     

Relationship intentions,race, and gender: Student differences in condom use during hookups involving vaginal sex

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship between race, gender, and pre-hookup relationship intentions and college students’ participation in condomless vaginal sex. Participants: 3,315 Black and White college students who participated in the Online College Social Life Survey (OCSLS). Methods: Secondary data analysis of the OCSLS using Chi-square and multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: The model revealed that students who did not want a relationship with their hookup partners and students unsure of their relationship intentions were more likely to use condoms during their last vaginal hookup. Further, White and Female students were less likely to have used condoms during their last vaginal hookup.

Conclusions: White and female students, as well as students desiring romantic relationships with hookup partners may be at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) due to decreased condom use. However, more research is needed to explore the factors driving STI disparities facing Black students despite higher condom use.     

Specificity of the Tuberculin Skin Test and the T-SPOT.TB Assay Among Students in a Low–Tuberculosis Incidence Setting

Abstract

Objective: Interferon-γ release assays (IGRAs) are an important tool for detecting latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Insufficient data exist about IGRA specificity in college health centers, most of which screen students for LTBI using the tuberculin skin test (TST). Participants: Students at a low–TB incidence college health center. Methods: TST and T-SPOT.TB were performed on prospectively recruited students. TB exposure risk was assessed using a questionnaire: Those at low risk were assumed to not have LTBI in order to calculate test specificity. Results: Of 184 students enrolled, 143 had results available for both TST and T-SPOT.TB. Agreement of the tests was 97% (kappa statistic 0.717; 95% confidence interval, 0.399–1.00). Among 124 low-risk students, specificity for TST and T-SPOT.TB were 98.4% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: T-SPOT.TB specificity was high among low-risk students. Additional studies such as cost-effectiveness analyses using T-SPOT.TB as a single or confirmatory test to TST are needed to contribute to LTBI screening policy decisions.     

Development and Initial Validation of the Symptoms and Assets Screening Scale

Abstract

Objective: To develop and test a screening measure of mental health symptoms and well-being in college students, the Symptoms and Assets Screening Scale (SASS). Participants: Participants were 758 college students at 2 universities in the Northwest sampled between October 2009 and April 2011. Methods: Participants completed the SASS, as well as measures of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, substance problems, and eating problems in 1 session. A subset of participants (n = 259) completed the SASS 1 to 2 weeks later to allow an examination of test–retest stability. Results: The SASS demonstrated good reliability and validity and appears to assess similar constructs as well-established measures in college students. Fifty-nine percent of the sample reported having problems with their thoughts, behaviors, or emotions, whereas only 9.7% reported currently receiving treatment. Conclusions: The SASS is a brief instrument that has the potential to effectively screen for the most prevalent mental health problems in college students.     

The role of age and setting in adolescents’ first drinking experience for predicting college problem drinking

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of longitudinally reporting age at first drink (AFD), and to test AFD and setting of first drink (SFD) as predictors of collegiate problem drinking. Participants: 338 first-year college students were interviewed multiple times during their first academic year, from May 2011 through August 2012. Methods: AFD, SFD, and problem drinking were measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) during the first year of college. Bivariate analysis and parsimonious multivariate linear regression model were conducted. Results: 62% of respondents were inconsistent in reporting AFD over time. Social SFD was the strongest independent predictor for higher AUDIT scores (b = 4.74, 95% confidence interval; 1.91, 7.57; p = .002). Conclusions: Findings suggest caution should be used in relying upon using AFD as a sole predictor of problem drinking. SFD may be a complementary measure to identify students at high risk of collegiate problem drinking.     

Psychosocial and Environmental Determinants of Eating Behaviors,Physical Activity,and Weight Change Among College Students: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Objective: The goal of this study was to identify factors that college students perceived as contributing to healthy and unhealthy eating patterns, physical activity (PA) levels, and weight change. Participants: Forty-nine 18- to 22-year-old students at a midwestern university participated. Methods: Six focus groups (3 with each gender) were conducted, and data were analyzed using qualitative software to code and categorize themes and then reduce these to clusters according to commonly practiced methods of qualitative analysis. Results: Eating and PA behaviors appear to be determined by a complex interplay between motivations and self-regulatory skills as well as the unique social and physical environment comprising college life. Moreover, there appear to be gender differences in how these determinants impact behavior. Conclusions: Future research should examine these interactions in the college context in order to further our understanding of potential interventions or environmental modifications that support healthy eating and PA.     

Alcohol use and strenuous physical activity in college students: A longitudinal test of 2 explanatory models of health behavior

Objective: To help clarify the effect of gender on the bidirectional relationship between alcohol use and strenuous physical activity in college students. Participants: Five hundred twenty-four (52% female) college students recruited in August 2008 and 2009 and followed up in April 2009 and April 2011, respectively. Methods: Participants reported their alcohol use and strenuous physical activity on 2 occasions (baseline and follow-up) spaced approximately 1 or 2 years apart. Results: For females, alcohol use quantity at baseline was associated with increased strenuous physical activity at 1- and 2-year follow-ups, and alcohol use frequency at baseline was associated with decreased strenuous physical activity at 2-year follow-up. For males, alcohol use frequency at baseline predicted decreased strenuous physical activity at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions: Gender differences may be explained from an eating disorders perspective such that women use physical activity as a compensatory strategy to combat potential weight gain from calories consumed during alcohol use.     

Self-reported Barriers to Professional Help Seeking Among College Students at Elevated Risk for Suicide

Abstract

Objectives: This study sought to describe self-reported barriers to professional help seeking among college students who are at elevated suicide risk and determine if these barriers vary by demographic and clinical characteristics. Participants: Participants were 165 non–treatment seekers recruited as part of a Web-based treatment linkage intervention for college students at elevated suicide risk (from September 2010 through December 2011). Methods: Data were collected using Web-based questionnaires. Two coders coded students’ responses to an open-ended question about reasons for not seeking professional help. Results: The most commonly reported barriers included perception that treatment is not needed (66%), lack of time (26.8%), and preference for self-management (18%). Stigma was mentioned by only 12% of students. There were notable differences based on gender, race, and severity of depression and alcohol abuse. Conclusions: Efforts aimed at reaching students at elevated risk for suicidal behavior should be particularly sensitive to these commonly described barriers.     

A single-session positive cognitive intervention on first-year students’ mental health: Short-term effectiveness and the mediating role of strengths knowledge

Abstract

Objective: To better understand the effectiveness of a single-session positive cognitive intervention and uncover the possible mechanisms. Participants: Participants were 79 first-year students (aged 17–21) who volunteered for the intervention during the 2016 fall semester. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned into the intervention group and the control group. All participants completed pretest, post-test, 1 week, and 3-month follow-up tests. Thriving, negative emotional states, strengths knowledge were assessed. Results: Results showed significant increases of thriving in the intervention group at post-test and after 1 week, and significant decreases of negative emotions at the post-test and after 1 week and 3 months. Strengths knowledge fully mediated the intervention effect on thriving at post-test. Conclusions: The single-session positive cognitive intervention could be a responsive and effective approach to promote first-year students mental health. More attention should be paid to mechanisms of the single-session positive cognitive intervention so as to optimize the effects of the single-session positive cognitive intervention.     

Mental Health and Clinical Correlates in Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Queer Young Adults

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the prevalence of mental health disorders and their clinical correlates in a university sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) students. Participants: College students at a large public university. Methods: An anonymous, voluntary survey was distributed via random e-mail generation to university students during April and May of 2011. LGBQ students were compared with their heterosexual counterparts on psychological and physical status as well as academic performance. Results: LGBQ students reported worse depressive symptoms, higher levels of perceived stress, considered themselves less attractive, and were more likely to be overweight. LGBQ students were significantly more likely to report histories of affective, substance use, and certain anxiety disorders as well as compulsive sexual behavior and compulsive buying. Conclusions: The higher rates of many psychiatric conditions among LGBQ students underscore the need for universities to provide LGBQ students a nonjudgmental environment to discuss sexual orientation and health issues.