Background and Goals: In 1998 Hunter College, a large public undergraduate institution within the City University of New York system, expressed interest in developing a health care practice for its large, diverse student body (approximately 20,000 students of which 72% are women and 62% are minority). Prior to designing the student health practice, we undertook a public health modeling project with three main goals: 1. To determine how similar projects had been initiated elsewhere, 2. To define the health concerns, needs and problems identified by the target population, and 3. To develop focused interventions to maximize the impact of the program on heath outcomes. Methods: First, we completed a systematic review of the student health literature (using medline). Second, we conducted three site visits to other university-based student health practices within New York. Third, we surveyed a random sample of 550 students at Hunter College using key questions from the "National College Health Risk Behavior Survey" in addition to other key questions of interest to the researchers. Results: We will present the methods used for our public health modeling project, in addition to the findings from our survey of this diverse, urban, predominantly female minority student body. These include insurance status, disease burden, health care utilization, behavioral risks, and programmatic intervention requests. Conclusion: Our findings can both provide information on key health concerns of urban, minority college students and serve as a model for the development of future student health practices and interventions.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to: 1. Identify the key health concerns of urban, minority college students 2. Describe a model for the development of future student health practices and interventions
Keywords: School Health, Minority Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Hunter College, New York
The New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Internal Medicine Associates
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.