142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Home Events & Meetings Annual Meeting Schedule & Program

Online Program

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

312183
Health indicators and academic achievement: Implications for colleges and universities

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Mary Larson, PhD, MPH, RD, CHES , Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences and Public Health Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND
Introduction – A minimum level of academic achievement, as measured by grade point average (GPA), is essential for success in post-secondary settings. Cognitive factors explain approximately 25% of variance in GPA, leaving a substantial proportion of variance in GPA explained by non-cognitive factors such as substance-use and stress-management. Colleges and universities collect student health-related data, which is largely underutilized. Student-health research examining relationships between health-related factors and GPA is typically conducted using bivariate correlations. The purpose of this study was to expand understanding of relationships between health-related factors and GPA by grouping variables and utilizing multiple regression analysis to determine degree of relationship and significance.

Methods – 1,348 students were invited and 529 (39.2%) completed the 102-item, on-line college health survey. Independent variable groupings for overall mental and physical health, physical health, sleep, stressors, substance use, and mental health were created by combining several survey items under each of these broad categories. General linear regression was used to determine how much GPA could be predicted by the various health categories.

Results – Several health-factor groupings significantly predicted GPA including mental and physical health accounting for 2.8% of the variance in GPA (p<.01), substance use 5% (p<.001), physical health 12.1% (p<.001), and stressors 25.6% (p<.001).

Discussion – Health-related factors have a significant and substantial bearing on GPA of college students. These findings compel those working in institutions of higher education to develop, implement, and evaluate programs and services for students to improve academic success by addressing health factors related to GPA.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Identify health-related factors associated with academic performance among college and university students. Discuss implications for student health programs and services for college and university campuses to improve student academic success. Explain how multiple regression analysis of student health data enriches understanding and potential utilization of information for program development to improve student success.

Keyword(s): College Students, Methodology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have 14 years experience in leadership roles within 5 colleges/universities in the areas of student wellness and health promotion, college alcohol and other drug education, and first-year student programs and retention services. Additionally, I taught several courses in wellness, health promotion, public health, and liberal studies. In my current role as assistant professor I am responsible for teaching for the MPH program in health promotion and conducting research.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4290.0: School Health Services