National College Health Assessment

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Student Health and Wellness Assessment University
of West Florida 2005
Presented by

Rebecca Magerkorth,
PhD

Director, Student Health and Wellness
Education
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Student Health and Wellness Assessment Goals

• Needs assessment to inform programming in
• alcohol and other drug prevention
• sexual violence prevention
• mental health promotion
• sexual health promotion.
• Prioritize the use of resources and funding
• Evaluate current strategies and new areas of
  concern
• Determine perceptions and misperceptions of
  alcohol and drug consumption
• Compare UWF norms with national, aggregate data.

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UWF Assessment Components

• Two on-line questionnaires sent to a random
  sample of UWF undergraduates enrolled in the
  survey semester.
• National College Health Assessment (March, 2005)
• Assesses the general health of students
• alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use
• sexual health
• weight, nutrition, and exercise
• mental and physical health
• injury prevention, personal safety, and violence
• Provides a national reference group of 54,111
  students across 71 schools.
• CORE Alcohol and Drug Survey (October, 2005)
• Assesses
• Alcohol, tobacco and other drug use
• Violence
• Provides a national reference group of 68,498
  college students 173 institutions.

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UWF Sample Characteristics

• CORE
• Response rate
• Females 30
• Males 19
• N771
• 57 Females (439)
• 43 Males (332)

• NCHA
• Response rate
• Females 32
• Males -18
• N855
• 73 Females (624)
• 27 Males (231)

Other demographics of the sample were
representative of UWF undergraduates enrolled at
the time of survey. over-sampled men (272 more
men included in initial random sample)
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UWF General Findings

• Lower rates of 30 day prevalence of alcohol and
  drug use (exception, sedatives identical rates)
• Identical rates of depression, anxiety disorders,
  bulimia, and suicide attempts
• Higher rates of emotional and physical abuse
• Identical rates of sexual abuse and sexual
  assault
• Identical rates of most sexually transmitted
  diseases (exception, herpes - higher rates)

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Top 10 of a list of 25 assessed health-related
factors affecting UWF undergraduates individual
academic performance, i.e. dropped a course,
received a lower grade, etc.
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UWF Key Areas of Need

• Alcohol 33 of UWF undergraduates (2,766)
  report consuming 5 or more alcoholic drinks in
  one sitting in the previous two weeks, as
  compared to 49 nationally. (CORE, 2005)
  (Negative consequences associated with alcohol
  use increase significantly when 5 or more drinks
  are consumed in one sitting.)
• Drunk Driving 6 of UWF undergraduates (460)
  have driven after having 5 or more drinks in the
  last 30 days, as compared to 5 nationally.
  (NCHA, 2005)
• Marijuana 12 of UWF undergraduates (990) have
  used marijuana at least once in the last 30 days
  as compared to 19 nationally. (CORE, 2005)
• Suicide Just over 9 of UWF undergraduates
  (846) indicated that they have seriously
  considered attempting suicide one or more times
  in the last school year, as compared to 10
  nationally. (NCHA, 2005)

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UWF Key Areas of Need (continued)

• Emotional Abuse 15 of UWF undergraduates
  (1,270) have been in a relationship that was
  emotionally abusive, as compared to 13
  nationally. (NCHA, 2005)
• Physical Abuse 3 of UWF undergraduates (259)
  have been in a relationship that was physically
  abusive, as compared to 2 nationally. (NCHA,
  2005)
• Rape 2 of undergraduate females (100) and 1
  of undergraduate males (33) have been raped in
  the last school year, exactly the same as the
  national average.
• Nutrition and Fitness 60 of undergraduates
  (5,013) are trying to lose weight 95 (7,938) do
  not eat the recommended amount of fruits and
  vegetables 58 (4,846) do not exercise 3 times
  per week.
• Rape as defined by experienced sexual
  penetration (vaginal, anal, oral intercourse)
  against your will

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UWF Student Misperceptions to Target

• Perceived 44 reported that the typical UWF
  student drinks alcohol daily
• Fact Less than 1 of UWF undergraduates drink
  daily
• Perceived 61 reported that the typical UWF
  student would have 5 or more alcoholic drinks
  the last time they partied
• Fact 29 of UWF undergraduates had 5 or more
  alcoholic drinks the last time they partied
• Perceived 82 reported that the typical UWF
  student has used marijuana at least once in the
  last 30 days
• Fact 9 of UWF undergraduates has used
  marijuana at least once in the last 30 days
• Perceived UWF undergraduates reported that the
  typical UWF student had 3 sexual partners in
  the last school year.
• Fact The median UWF undergraduate had one
  sexual partner in the last school year.

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Future Directions

• Work with cross-disciplinary research team to
  analyze data and identify high risk groups
• Develop new interventions for relationship
  violence, suicide prevention, and nutrition
• Implement social norms marketing campaign
• Continue Life Choices Peer Education program
• Continue to develop on-line resource center and
  promote awareness campaigns
• Continue to collaborate with others across campus
  to implement and evaluate empirically validated
  or informed prevention programs

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Questions Answers
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Contact Information

Rebecca Magerkorth, PhD

Director, Student Health and Wellness Education
Bldg 19, Room
104
Office
474-2293

rmagerkorth_at_uwf.edu