First Generation Students and Post-Undergraduate Aspirations

Objectives: Depression and anxiety contribute to the burden of disease among college students. The current study determined if depressive and anxiety symptoms were more prevalent in first generation students and if social and emotional support moderated this relationship. Methods: Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured in 432 U.S. college students via an online survey. Single items determined student generation status and available social support. The CES-D10 and GAD-7 measured depression and anxiety, respectively. Structural equation modeling was used to identify significant effects. Results: First generation status was associated with increased cognitive-emotional (p = 0.036) and somatic (p = 0.013) anxiety symptoms, but not depression. High social and emotional support appeared to suppress somatic anxiety symptoms experienced by first generation students (p = 0.004). Conclusions: Greater anxiety symptoms in first generation students may be due to increased general and acculturative stress, although more research is needed. Large national surveys of college students should consider adding a question about first generation status.

This dissertation is a case study involving four, first generation, working class, college students. The dissertation study chronicled the experiences of these students during their first semester at the college. In order to more effectively focus on the aspects of social class and first generation status, the study was restricted to white males. First generation, working class students must negotiate a difficult transition from their working class culture to the culture of academia, in order to be successful in college. This transition typically requires significant re-negotiation of relationships with family members and friends, who are not always supportive of their efforts. Research among first generation, working class students indicates that they face substantial barriers to earning a college degree, and are at a distinct disadvantage concerning access to college and degree attainment. Case study methodology was employed for this study. Participants were interviewed every two weeks throughout the semester to chronicle their experiences. The research question for the study was: How do first generation, working class, first year, white male college students make the necessary academic, social and cultural adjustments to college? The study focused on these students' preparation for college, the support they perceived for attending college, their feelings of belonging to the college campus, and how their social class affected their college experience. The study found that this group of working class, first generation college students lacked significant support systems for their efforts during college. The study found that these students often lacked a sense of belonging to the college campus and indicated that administrators and staff in student services agencies had little, if any, impact on these students college experience. The study also found that their social class had a negative affect on these students ability to succeed in college. The study makes several recommendations for programs designed to help erase the perceived deficit working class, first generation college students have in order to help them succeed in college, and recommends that higher education also adapt its culture to meet the needs of working class, first generation students.

Several thoughts on class management work of college students

Utilizing resilience theory and original research conducted on fifty academically resilient low socioeconomic status students of color, this article presents specific objectives and values institutions of higher learning can adopt and emphasize to increase the retention and graduation of their most statistically at-risk students. Major findings and suggestions include: constantly build students’ self-efficacy; help students realistically appraise their own strengths and weaknesses; encourage help seeking tendencies; and provide clear linkages between academic success and future economic security. According to a recent report from National Center for Education Statistics , by the year 2022, White and Asian students will increase their attendance on college campuses by 7%, whereas the rate will be 26% for African American students and 27% for Hispanics, two groups with disproportionately higher poverty rates (Hussar & Bailey, 2014). These students will continue to make up larger and larger percentages of students on college campuses nationwide. While these can be viewed as positive and exciting forecasts, they bring with them new sets of challenges. Given the changing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic demographics of the United States, as well as shifts in expectations as to who seeks a college degree, a majority of institutions of higher education are struggling with one essential question: How do we retain and graduate greater numbers of ethnic minorities and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds? The consequences of not meeting this challenge can be viewed on both a macro and micro level. From a societal perspective, unemployment rates, reliance on public social service agencies, incarceration rates, and America’s place in the global hierarchy are all either directly or indirectly linked with the successful education of working class and poor students, many of whom are ethnic minorities. On a more local level, as more and more first generation college students enter colleges across the country (Jehangir, 2010), institutions are increasingly recognizing the value of effectively meeting their needs (Bastedo & Gumport, 2003), for if they don’t, current and future enrollment targets may not be met. Furthermore, those with the most influence over the potential success of these students, college faculty, already acknowledge the need for, and desire, effective ways of meeting their needs (Erisman & Looney 2007). The difficulties colleges face in effectively teaching and graduating lower socioeconomic status students, often from ethnic minority backgrounds, continues to be a pressing issue. However, the issue is not a new one. Back in the early 1970s K. Patricia Cross (1971) famously talked specifically of the inability of colleges to adjust to the needs of the changing student bodies of the time. Since then, the numbers of poorer and first generation college students have only increased. Furthermore, many noted researchers in the field still acknowledge that not enough is known about how low socioeconomic college students experience and manage college life (Pascarella, Pierson, Wolniak, & Terenzini, 2004; Pike & Kuh, 2005). The rest of this paper will further define and explore the parameters of these issues and then utilize original research on academically resilient students to provide specific approaches faculty can adopt to increase the degree of resilience and persistence among first generation college students. These suggestions will be categorized and explained, then justified through related research literature.

Increasing diversity in cardiothoracic surgery: First-generation medical students

Purpose: Seventy-five percent of medical students in the United States hail from families in the top 2 income quintiles as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, while 5% of medical students represent the bottom quintile. 1 Analyses to identify potential barriers contributing to this staggering socioeconomic disparity among our future medical workforce are sparse. Characterization of the exacerbating factors and potential bottlenecks along the premedical pipeline can help inform crucial steps toward initiatives to increase representation of medical school matriculants from all socioeconomic backgrounds. This study examined U.S. medical school acceptance rates across familial income and parental education levels and identified applicant factors predictive of medical school acceptance. Approach/Methods: The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) collects the highest level of parental education and childhood family income for every applicant. De-identified AMCAS data were obtained for all medical school applicants from 2014 to 2019 and included the following applicant characteristics: science and nonscience GPA, Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) 2015 score, age, parental education, family income, race/ethnicity, and the number of medical school acceptances obtained. Descriptive statistical analyses assessed acceptance rates, MCAT averages, and GPA averages, stratified by applicant’s family income and parents’ education. Low income was defined as reporting a childhood family income <$75,000, and first-generation status was defined as having no parent with a bachelor’s degree. Multivariate regression analysis modeled the effects of MCAT, GPA, race/ethnicity, first-generation status, and low-income status on acceptance to at least 1 MD program. Results/Outcomes: AMCAS data from 312,898 applicants were analyzed. Of the total, 34.3% (107,396/312,898) were low-income and 19.3% (60,328/312,898) were first- generation applicants. The overall acceptance rate over the study period was 42.3%. Low-income applicants and first-generation applicants’ acceptance rates were 36.0% (38,674/107,396) and 32.7% (19,701/60,328), respectively. On univariate analysis, acceptance was negatively associated with both family income (OR: 0.602; P < .001; CI: 0.592, 0.612) and parental education (OR: 0.581; P < .001; CI: 0.570, 0.592). On multivariate analysis, among those with MCAT2015 scores (n = 142,961), medical school acceptance was most affected by average science GPA (OR: 6.63; P < .001; CI: 6.345, 6.918), underrepresented in medicine (UIM) identity (OR: 5.119; P < .001; CI: 4.923, 5.323), and MCAT score (OR: 1.186; P < .001; CI: 1.184, 1.189). Low-income status (OR: 0.968; P < .05; CI: 0.938, 0.999) was negatively associated with acceptance; however, first-generation status (OR: 0.994; P = .758) was not significantly associated with acceptance. Discussion: These results reveal that first-generation and low-income medical school applicants have a markedly lower rate of acceptance than the general applicant population. Furthermore, both first-generation and low-income status are significantly negatively associated with medical school acceptance. This effect is mediated by UIM identity and GPA and MCAT metrics. Notably, UIM identity status had a significant effect size in predicting medical school acceptance, which is potentially reflective of beneficial race-conscious admissions practices. Furthermore, the miniscule effect size of first-generation college status and low-income status serves as evidence that disadvantaged backgrounds are not widely considered among admission practices as recommended by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) Standard on Diversity. 2 Additionally, one study’s analysis of group differences in scores on the latest version of the MCAT revealed disparities in scores and use of preparatory materials depending on an applicant attending a school with more or fewer resources. 3 Therefore, first-generation college and low-income applicants’ relatively poorer acceptance rates may be mitigated by early academic support and access to cost-prohibitive MCAT preparatory materials. Significance: First-generation college and low-income applicants experience lower medical school acceptance rates, but high grades and test scores mediate the effect, in combination with UIM status. These applicant populations require increased support and mentorship to achieve proportional representation among medical students.

This study examined factors that relate to academic competence and expectations from elementary to middle school for 674 fifth grade students (50% boys; Mage = 10.86 years) of Mexican origin. Models predicting academic competence and expectations were estimated using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework, with longitudinal data from fifth to eighth grades. School belonging (i.e., social and emotional connectedness to school) predicted greater academic competence and expectations over time. Findings indicate that student feelings of belonging in school may act as a resource that promotes academic competence and expectations. Furthermore, family income, parent education, and generational status had direct effects on academic competence and expectations to some degree, suggesting the importance of contextual factors in this process.

Much has been written in the popular press on credit card use and spending patterns of American college students. The proliferation of credit cards and their ease of acquisition ensure that students today have more opportunities for making more credit purchases than any other generation of college students. Little is known about the relationship between students' attitudes towards materialism and their use of credit cards. A study was conducted at three college campuses in the northeastern part of the United States where a total of 1,022 students were surveyed. Students' attitudes toward use of credit and their credit card balances were evaluated relative to their scores on Richins and Dawson's Materialism Scale (1992). Our findings suggest no significant difference between those individuals scoring high versus low on the Materialism Scale in terms of the number of credit cards owned and the average balance owed. Individuals high on materialism, however, significantly differed in terms of their uses for credit cards and their general attitude toward their use.

Much has been written in the popular press on credit card use and spending patterns of American college students. The proliferation of credit cards and their ease of acquisition ensure that students today have more opportunities for making more credit purchases than any other generation of college students. Little is known about the relationship between students' attitudes towards materialism and their use of credit cards. A study was conducted at three college campuses in the northeastern part of the United States where a total of 1,022 students were surveyed. Students' attitudes toward use of credit and their credit card balances were evaluated relative to their scores on Richins and Dawson's Materialism Scale (1992). Our findings suggest no significant difference between those individuals scoring high versus low on the Materialism Scale in terms of the number of credit cards owned and the average balance owed. Individuals high on materialism, however, significantly differed in terms of their uses for credit cards and their general attitude toward their use.

In order to understand whether loans actually expand opportunities among community college students, it is important to understand who is borrowing and who is not. A binary logistic regression was used to determine which financially needy students are likely to borrow from federal loan programs. The current study found that the following types of students are less likely to borrow: first generation college students; females; students considered financially dependent upon their parents; and students who are Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or American Indian. Policy makers need to be mindful of this as they set funding levels for state and federal financial aid programs and not assume that students will use federal student loan programs to offset reductions in other types of financial aid.

Objective – To determine whether information seeking anxieties and preferred information sources differ between first-generation college students and their continuing-generation peers. Methods – An online survey was disseminated at two public college campuses. A total of 490 respondents were included in the results. Independent variables included institution, year in college, and generational status. Instead of using a binary variable, this study used three groups for the independent variable of generational status, with two first-generation groups and one continuing-generation group based on parental experience with college. Dependent variables included 4 measures of information seeking anxiety and 22 measures of preferred information sources. Responses were analyzed using SPSS. One-way independent ANOVA tests were used to compare groups by generational status, and two- and three-way factorial ANOVA tests were conducted to explore interaction effects of generational status with institution and year in college. Results – No significant differences in overall information seeking anxiety were found between students whose parents had differing levels of experience with college. However, when exploring the specific variable of experiencing anxiety about “navigating the system in college,” a two-way interaction involving generational status and year in school was found, with first-generation students with the least direct experience with college reporting higher levels of anxiety at different years in college than their peers. Two categories of first-generation students were found to consult with their parents far less than continuing-generation peers. The study also found that institutional or generational differences may also influence whether students ask for information from their peers, librarians, tutoring centers, professors, or advisors. Conclusion – This study is one of the first to directly compare the information seeking preferences and anxieties of first-generation and continuing-generation students using a non-binary approach. While previous research suggests that first-generation students experience heightened anxiety about information seeking, this study found no significant overall differences between students based on their generational status. The study reinforced previous research about first-generation college students relying less on their parents than their continuing-generation peers. However, this study complicates previous research about first-generation students and their utilization of peers, librarians, tutoring centers, professors, or advisors as information sources, and suggests that institutional context plays an important role in shaping first-generation information seeking.

IntroductionWe investigated differences in domain-general expectancy, value, and engagement in school by generation status and how the relationship among these constructs and academic performance differ by generation status.MethodsA total of 573 college students enrolled in introductory psychology courses participated in the study. We collected data on generation status, expectancy-value beliefs, school engagement, and official GPA data from participants, tested measurement invariance of expectancy-value beliefs and engagement between first-generation college students (FGCS) and continuing generation college students (CGCS), and conducted multigroup modeling to understand the differential relations of expectancy-value, engagement, and GPA between the two groups.ResultsWe discovered that the latent mean of expectancy beliefs differed significantly by generation status, with FGCS reporting higher expectancy than CGCS. There were no differences in the latent mean of task value. Multigroup structural equation modeling revealed that the effect of expectancy-value motivation on behavioral engagement was similar across groups, but its effect on cognitive engagement was greater for the FGCS than for the CGCS. For both groups, expectancy impacted academic performance via behavioral engagement. Finally, neither expectancy-value motivation nor cognitive engagement directly predicted academic performance for either group.DiscussionThe findings have important theoretical implications for understanding motivation and achievement of FGCS and CGCS and critical practical implications regarding undergraduate education.

During the increasing spread of COVID-19 occurrences in Chattogram Metropolitan Area (CMA) of Bangladesh, a series of measures were taken to control the transmission. These measures greatly influenced the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the population on their dietary behavior. However, there are no current studies demonstrating the KAP of the CMA citizens regarding their dietary habit that can boost the immunity. In this study, we appraised KAP in regard to immunity boosting dietary behavior from April 26, 2021 to November 17, 2021 during implementation of lockdown measures by the government of Bangladesh. Apart from the basic knowledge and attitudes toward immunity boosting dietary behavior, we have also aimed to assess the practices of the population by whether the nutrients, especially vitamin A, B6, B9, B12, C, D, E, and trace minerals such as zinc, selenium, and iron were included in their diet and in what frequency. This study is a cross-sectional study, and the participants were recruited using both online platforms during the lockdown and through in-person interviews after the withdrawal of lockdown. After obtaining the proper consent from the participants, their sociodemographic variables, and KAP towards immunity boosting dietary behavior were assessed. Total 400 participants were included in this study and a non-probability sampling technique named purposive sampling has been followed for participants recruitment. Among the 400 participants, the majority of them (64.3%) were male, most of them (62.7%) were students, unmarried (69.5%), aged between 18–35 years (82.5%), had a bachelor’s degree (50.0%), and had a monthly family income between 10000–30000 BDT (35.5%). This study indicated that 82.8% of the populations had the correct knowledge, 71.3% had favorable attitudes, and 44% had good practices regarding immunity boosting diet during COVID-19. The majority (79.3%) of the participants had an idea about nutrition, most of them (78.5%) knew the nutrients needed to strengthen their immune system, almost all (98.5%) washed fruits and vegetables purchased from the market before eating them, 78% did not often purchase food online, and 53% often ate junk food. In a binary logistic regression, correct knowledge was significantly associated with the females, having HSC or bachelor’s degree, being in the occupation of business, laborer or others, and having a monthly family income between 50000–100000 or >100000. The favorable attitudes were significantly associated with having a master’s degree or above, and for government job holders. However, the good practices did not show any significant association with the sociodemographic factors in binary logistic regression. Moreover, the study found the presence of bad or unhealthy practices among the populations despite having correct knowledge and favorable attitudes. Thus, this study could identify the variables, such as gender differences, education, monthly family income, and occupation on which emphasis should be given during public health campaigns or training programs to improve the KAP regarding immunity boosting diet.

In this study, we conducted a path analysis on data from the National Latino and Asian American Study to investigate the role of religious attendance on mental health among Mexican populations. Using data from 868 Latinos of Mexican origin, we further investigated the extent to which religious attendance mediated the direct path between generation status and lifetime prevalence rates of any substance use disorder, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder. Results indicate that Mexican immigrants endorsed lower lifetime prevalence rates of depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and substance use disorder and endorsed higher levels of religious attendance. Second, results indicate a significant negative relationship between religious attendance and prevalence rates for depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and substance use disorder. Third, results indicate that religious attendance was a mediator for the relationship between generation status and the lifetime prevalence rates of substance use disorder only. These results provide a contribution toward the discussion of the immigrant health paradox and further highlight the role that religious attendance plays in the relationship between generational status and the lifetime prevalence rates of substance use disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record

This study was designed to assess demographic and socioeconomic differences in blood lead levels (BLLs) among Mexican-American children and adolescents in the United States. We analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994, for 3,325 Mexican-American youth aged 1 to 17 years. The main study outcome measures included a continuous measure (microg/dL) of BLL and two dichotomous measures of BLL (> or =5 microg/dL and > or =10 microg/dL). The mean BLL among Mexican-American children in the United States was 3.45 microg/dL (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.07, 3.87); 20% had BLL > or =5 microg/dL (95% CI 15%, 24%); and 4% had BLL > or =10 microg/dL (95% CI 2%, 6%). In multivariate analyses, gender, age, generational status, home language, family income, education of head of household, age of housing, and source of drinking water were statistically significant independent predictors (p<0.05) of having higher BLLs and of having BLL > or =5 microg/dL, whereas age, family income, housing age, and source of drinking water were significant predictors (p<0.05) of having BLL > or =10 microg/dL. Significant differences in the risk of having elevated BLLs exist among Mexican-American youth. Those at greatest risk should be prioritized for lead screening and lead exposure abatement interventions.