Internet-based health promotion resources on US college websites

Background: Young adulthood is a significant time for health behavior development. Today half of young adults are enrolled in higher education. More than any other age group, young adults search for health information online, many preferring internet to traditional resources. With most colleges in the US shifting to online resources, providing health promotion resources on college websites may be an effective way to reach this hard to engage population. Though studies describe college students' use of the internet in seeking health information, no studies exist describing and quantifying health promotion resources provided on college websites. Objectives: 1) To describe the prevalence and types of internet-based health promotion resources currently available on US college websites and 2)To identify college characteristics that correlate with the availability of internet-based health promotion resources. Methods: The study design is a cross-sectional analysis of the website content of a nationally representative sample of colleges using a standardized data collection tool. Sampling of accredited 2 and 4 year US colleges (target sample size=360) is underway using a stratified random design, based on size and geographic location. Data elements to be collected include the presence and range of health topics discussed and services provided and the availability of web-based health promotion programs. Analysis: Descriptive statistics will be used to evaluate the patterns of health promotion resources. We will conduct multivariable analysis examining the association between presence of web-based health promotion materials and college characteristics. Results and analysis will be completed over the next three months.