As a commentary in The Journal of American College Health noted, college students are a relatively healthy population; however, “Young people have been recognized as experiencing higher rates of morbidity, disability, and mortality from various developmental, environmental, and behavioral risk factors than the general population.”
Hello, I’m Dr. Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs at Southeast Missouri State University. Student wellbeing is foundational to academic success. A 2021 study found negative associations between college students’ self-reported GPA and the hours of sleep per night, hours worked per week, fast food and energy drinks consumed, and the amount of marijuana, alcohol and electronic vaping products used. Research also suggests that improving student mental health can improve academic performance, persistence, and graduation rates.
Institutions of Higher Education are communities, and thus, much of the focus on college health is on community health. A recent publication from the National Library of Medicine suggests it is the responsibility of the entire university community—administrators, faculty, and staff—not solely students and those who treat them—to consider student perspectives and incorporate their suggestions to create an environment of health, safety, inclusiveness, respect, and wellbeing.
Students in my EA615: Wellness in Higher Education course tackle these issues as they prepare to serve as student affairs professionals. In the month of May, I will share some of their work as part of an end of semester special focused on the health of college students.
Resources:
https://www.acha.org/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567376/
https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Investing-in-Student-Mental-Health.pdf
Grace, T.W. (1997) Health problems of college students, Journal of American College Health, 45(6), 243-251, DOI: 10.1080/07448481.1997.9936894
Reuter, P. R., & Forster, B. L. (2021). Student health behavior and academic performance. PeerJ, 9, e11107. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11107
