Science University Students Research Articles

Navigating Barriers to Success for Community College Science Students: A Review of Transfer Challenges

This paper examines the challenges community college students encounter when transferring to four-year higher-education institutions, focusing on the gap between their transfer aspirations and actual success. Despite the availability of substantial financial aid in higher education, transfer students continue to face numerous challenges that impede their integration and success at new institutions. These obstacles arise from a combination of institutional factors and individual student characteristics. Utilizing Pascarella’s model, this study underscores the importance of support programs in raising institutional awareness of the diverse challenges transfer students face and the necessity for tailored strategies to facilitate their successful transition and retention.

Reasons Pertaining to Substance Abuse among Undergraduates in Chennai

BACKGROUND: Substance abuse and dependence among undergraduates in India are very concerning as they are next in line to contribute to the social and economic needs of the country. The alarming increase in substance use also contributes to various physical and mental illnesses. OBJECTIVES: This research aims to identify the root cause and initial indulgence in substance consumption to prevent the increase of usage and loss of human potential to enhance the quality of society in the upcoming years. METHODS: An observational study with a cross-sectional design was done among 174 participants. This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was done among undergraduates aged between 19-22 in Medical, Dental, Engineering, and Arts and Science College students studying in Chennai. A Drug and Alcohol (DAP) questionnaire for screening of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis along with a Semi-Structured Performa about socio-demographic factors was used to collect the data. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version-21, Chi-Square Test descriptive for finding out the outcome variable. RESULT: About 62.7% tried alcohol/smoking for the first time because they were ‘curious’ followed by 29.4% stating that it was due to ‘emotional disturbances’, 23.5% due to ‘having free time’, 19.6% because they were ‘stressed’,17.6% due to ‘college’ as the three most chosen reasons. Among 45 participants who were consuming substances, 32.4% felt neglected at home. Of the remaining 133 who did not consume any substances when asked the reason for their non-consumption, 28.7% were ‘not interested', 15.7% said it was due to ‘self-control’ and 5.6% said ‘both’. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that ‘curiosity’ was the reason for the initial consumption of the substance but the reason for the continuation of the habit is because of emotional disturbances, stress, or feeling neglected at home and by society. Prevention and treatment of substance abuse and dependence should consider these factors. This can help lay better intervention and relapse strategies for the upcoming generation.

INCIDENCE OF DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND STRESS AMONG STUDENTS OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND NON-HEALTH SCIENCES; A COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY FROM PAKISTAN

Background: Depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) are prevalent psychological conditions worldwide, accounting for approximately 15% of the global burden of disease, particularly in developing countries. The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students in Pakistan is 42.66%. Objectives: The main aim of this research was to investigate the incidence of depression, anxiety, and stress amongst both health sciences and non-health sciences university students and their association with socio-demographic characteristics. Methodology: The DASS-21 was used to collect data on depression, anxiety, and stress, in addition to socio-demographic factors. The data was collected through a web-based questionnaire from November 06, 2023, to January 06, 2024, from private and public universities in Punjab, Pakistan. 1177 students participated, including 586 (49.78%) health sciences students and 591 (50.21%) non-health sciences students. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: It was observed that the incidence of depression, anxiety, and stress among the university students of Pakistan was 52.8%, 40.5%, and 44.8%, respectively. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant relationship between social media use and DASD (p < 0.001). In terms of study time, students who studied for less than 3 hours had a significantly higher prevalence of DASD, indicating a substantial association between study time and depression. Conclusions: According to the results of the current study, psychological conditions were highly prevalent in both health sciences and non-health sciences students. Moreover, contrary to male students, female undergraduates have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and stress. Particular attention should be paid to the students, and counselling sessions should be designed to improve their mental health. Hence, a comparative study of different psychological conditions among health sciences and non-health sciences students could be of interest and helpful to higher education policymakers. Screening students’ mental health is crucial to understanding the prevalence rates of DAS and its associated factors.

Predictors Affecting the Attitude Towards Homosexuality Among Health Sciences University Students in East Coast Malaysia

Introduction As a minority group homosexuality poses the risk of various mental illnesses and medical comorbidities. In Malaysia, homosexuality is prohibited according to culture, law, and religion. Thus, this group is reluctant to seek help due to the negative attitude of certain healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals’ negative attitudes towards this group may negatively impact patient care quality. This study aimed to identify predictors of health sciences students’ attitudes toward homosexuality. Materials and methods An online cross-sectional study was conducted among 307 undergraduate clinical students at a university on the east coast of Malaysia from December 2020 to February 2021. The instruments consisted of the Homosexual Attitude Scale Malay Version (HASMV), Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS), and Duke University Religion Index (DUREL). Results The mean (SD) age of participants was 22.91 (0.78) years old. The majority are female, Malay, and Muslim. Mean (SD) scores of attitudes towards homosexuality among health sciences students were 61.53 (17.06). Non-Muslims, final-year students, and those with higher self-reflection scores in central and southern Peninsular Malaysia displayed a more positive attitude towards homosexuality, as did students with a history of contact with homosexuals. Students with higher intrinsic religiosity scores were shown to be more negative towards homosexuality. Conclusion The attitude towards homosexuality of Malaysian future health practitioners leaned mostly towards the positive attitude towards homosexuality. These findings shall aid the relevant authorities in revising the curriculum to raise awareness about homosexual health, as well as arranging training programs. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 23 No. 04 October’24 Page : 1120-1128

Fostering student competencies and perceptions through artificial intelligence of things educational platform

The growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) skills across various sectors has enhanced AI-focused careers and shaped academic exploration in educational institutions. These institutions have been actively developing teaching methods that enhance practical AI applications, particularly through integrating AI with the Internet of Things (IoT), leading to the emergence of the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT). This convergence promises significant advancements in AI education, addressing gaps in structured learning methods for AIoT. This study explored AIoT's application in Smart Farming (SF) and its potential to enrich AI education and sectoral advancements. The AIoT platform was designed for SF simulations, integrating environmental sensing, AI processing, and user-friendly outputs. This platform was implemented with 40 first-year computer science university students in Thailand using a one-group pre-posttest design. This approach transformed theoretical AI concepts into experiential learning through interactive activities, demonstrating AIoT's capability to increase AI conceptual understanding, trigger AI competencies, and promote positive learning perceptions. Therefore, this study presented the results as indicative of the AIoT platform's potential benefits, emphasizing the need for further robust experimental research. This study contributes to educational technology discussions by suggesting improvements in AIoT platform effectiveness and highlighting areas for future investigation.

Political Interest: A Study among Arts, Science and Commerce College Students in Aizawl

Political Interest: A Study among Arts, Science and Commerce College Students in Aizawl

The Impact of Electronic Device Use on Dry Eye Disease Symptoms based on Age and Gender: A Cross-sectional Study in Health Science University Students

Background Individuals with dry eye disease (DED) may experience ocular symptoms, affecting their quality of life. DED is multifactorial and is related to age, gender, and other factors. While a study may contain examination results of DED symptoms in elderly populations, where electronic device use has contributed to DED, disease occurrence in younger populations, such as university students, remains unclear. Purpose We evaluated DED frequency and risk factors for health science university students using electronic devices during online courses. Methods This study is a cross-sectional study using a previously validated DED questionnaire [Computer Vision Syndrome questionnaire (CVSQ)], which contains three parts: student demographics, electronic device information, and DED symptoms. We conducted an observational cross-sectional study of 359 health science students (aged 18 and above) at King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between October 2022 and January 2023. We collected data on electronic device variables and DED symptoms in this cohort. Results We recruited 359 male (29.2%) and female (70.8%) health science students. Participant ages ranged from 18–20 (62.4%) to 21–27 (37.6%) years old. Participants were asked 24 questions, which gathered information on electronic device type, screen time in online classes, occupational characteristics (smoking status), and associated eye symptoms, such as pain, redness, itchiness, dryness, and heavy eyelids. Based on most responses, the Tablet was the most used and preferred device (85%), with continuous use of the device during university courses/ activities (85.8%). The correlation of the survey parameters was only significantly related to gender and study years with DED symptoms. The highest eye symptom intensity levels (always to severe) indicated burning (6.7%) and dryness (8.6%) sensations. Lastly, a significant association was identified between DED symptoms and screen time, gender, and smoking status. Conclusion DED symptoms were commonly reported in university students who used electronic devices. Our study provides valuable insights into electronic device usage duration impacted the ocular health of females and younger students, aiding in preventing dry eye disease risks and maintaining good eye health.

Academic stress in Health Sciences university students and its influence on academic performance

Introduction: The discomfort that Health Sciences students present due to physical or emotional factors called stressors, exert a significant pressure affecting their average grades obtained in an academic period. Objectives: Characterize academic stress, its triggering factors, the influence on the academic performance of university students of Health Sciences, and coping strategies for the management of the teaching and learning process.Methods: Bibliographic review, from 2020 to 2024. The sources consulted were LILACS Regional, Scielo regional, PLOS, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, Web of Science Latin America. We considered 34/57 scientific articles found in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Systematic reviews with less than 10 articles in their analysis, duplicity, plagiarism, and paid articles were excluded. Discussion: Academic stress significantly affected students, causing emotional, behavioral, and physiological problems due to task overload and demanding evaluations. Studies revealed common symptoms such as physical pain, sadness, anxiety, with high impact in Health Sciences areas. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues, highlighting the need for effective coping strategies such as physical activity to improve well-being and academic performance. Conclusions: Academic stress is a multicausal and multidimensional individual adaptive response process studied by university students of Health Sciences. Academic stressors, risk factors and protective factors, will allow guiding confrontation strategies and the creation of a protocol for academic management as part of the teaching-learning process, for its mitigation.

Evidence on psychometric properties of self-report questionnaires in evaluating blended learning in health sciences university students: research protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionDue to the COVID-19 outbreak, schools had to switch online. As universities ease face-to-face (F2F) schooling, blended teaching and learning (BTL) enables the continuous delivery of education. However, the sudden...

Correlation between studying strategies, personal and psychological factors with academic achievement and intelligence in health sciences university students: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionTo date, there are no sufficient studies aimed to determine a correlation between personal, academic, and psychological variables with academic achievement, measured with the grade point average (GPA) and intelligence in university students according to each sex.Study aimTo determine the correlation between studying strategies, personal and psychological factors with GPA and intelligence in a sample of health sciences university students.MethodsHealth Sciences university students, were invited to participate, those who accepted were cited in a computer room where they signed an informed consent and filled an electronic questionnaire with sociodemographic, behavioral, psychological variables and studying strategies (from the MLSQ instrument) afterwards they performed a verbal and non-verbal intelligence test (Shipley-2).ResultsA total of 439 students were included, from which 297 (67.7%) were women. The mean of age was 20.34 ± 2.61 years old. We found that no differences in GPA where observed between sexes. We detected a higher correlation between combined intelligence and GPA in women than in men. In addition, most studying strategies showed a higher correlation with GPA than intelligence scores in men´s sample. All these findings coincide with the fact that preparatory GPA was the most correlated variable with university GPA in both sexes. Finally, women showed higher levels of the sum of diseases, somatization, anxiety, depression and academic stress than men, and all these variables showed low significant correlations with the combined intelligence score only in women´s sample.ConclusionVerbal and non-verbal intelligence scores show a lower association to GPA in men than in women, while studying strategies showed a higher association with GPA in men than in women.

Community Sports Program in a Vocational College in Jiangxi Province, China

This study aimed to assess Jiangxi Science and Technology Vocational College students' perceptions of community sports programs with a view to developing improved community sports programs. The study found that students generally rated the program as excellent in terms of accessibility, sustainability, effectiveness and satisfaction, demonstrating its success in addressing barriers to participation, using environmentally friendly, inclusive and flexible strategies, and responding to student feedback responded positively. Although there were differences in terms of gender, age, course, and grade level, these factors had no significant impact on students' evaluations of community sports programs. Through the evaluation of existing programs and suggestions for improvement, this study hopes to provide a valuable reference for the development of sports programs in vocational colleges.

A Study on Nomophobia Among Arts and Science College Students

Mobile phones are probably the major non-drug addiction of the 21st century. There is no doubt that a mobile phone is a valuable tool. It is almost impossible to imagine life without them. It facilitates communication among colleagues, friends, and family members. All technologies that provide some benefits come with a set of drawbacks. The wide use of mobile phones has caused a huge impact on students’ life. The present study investigates the Nomophobia among arts and science college students. Keywords: Nomophobia, Arts and science college students, Technology and Smartphones.

Expressed preferences for public health education of students during COVID-19 vaccination intervention: a cross-sectional comparative study

BackgroundPublic health education is a powerful tool for improving communicable disease awareness and prevention protocols. Despite the fact that health education is crucial for the advancement of COVID-19 awareness and vaccination decisions, how a teacher approaches students to learn about health education during COVID-19 vaccination is a challenging issue. This study aimed to assess the preferences for public health education during COVID-19 vaccination intervention and compare the predictors of preferences between science and non-science university students in Bangladesh.MethodsA multi-item questionnaire was developed and an online link was conveniently sent to the encounters between 31st May, 2023 and 15th August, 2023. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to rationalize the research objective.ResultsThe pooled preference for public health education was 71.3% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 67.7–74.3) vs. 81.5% (95% CI 79.3–84.7) between science and non-science students. Out of twelve predictors “vaccine agreement”, “bio-safety behavior", and “disease awareness” were significantly associated (p < 0.01, p < 0.05) with the preference for public health education in both groups. Varied effects were also observed for some predictors: vaccine “safety” and “side effects” were significant (p < 0.05, p < 0.01) in science and non-science students, respectively. To address the conflict in decisions, non-science students significantly preferred “prevention alliance” whereas science students preferred “environmental health” issues (p < 0.05).ConclusionPublic health education was more preferred by non-science university students than by science students in making COVID-19 vaccine decisions . The focus of transformative public health education should be interdisciplinary, including information on communicable diseases, public health measures, and prevention alliances, as well as information about vaccines' side effects and safety.

Effect of Implementing Guided Music Management Strategies on the Psychological State of College Students of Science and Technology During Their Graduation Reply.

To study the effect of guided music management strategies on the psychological state of college students of science and technology during their graduation reply. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the relevant data of 107 college students of science and technology who underwent graduation defense in 2022. These students returned to school 1 week before their graduation reply. On the basis of whether they received guided music management strategies, the students were divided into a control group (no management strategy) and an observation group (received guided music management strategies). Among the students, 50 were included in the observation group after excluding two who did not meet the inclusion criteria. A total of 53 students were included in the control group after excluding 2 who did not meet the inclusion criteria. General demographic information and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Test Anxiety Scale (TAS) and Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) scores were collected. No significant differences in SAS, TAS and CPSS scores were found between the two groups before management (P > 0.05). After management, the SAS score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The TAS and CPSS scores of the observation group after management were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Implementing guided music management strategies can effectively alleviate anxiety and stress in college students of science and technology during their graduation reply and has a certain utility and promotion value.

Computational Thinking Measurement of CS University Students

The measurement of computational thinking ability among computer science (CS) university students is of paramount importance. This study introduces UniCTCheck, a novel method designed to assess the main components of computational thinking in CS students. Utilising two key instruments, namely, the web application CTScore and the psychometric scale CTProg, this research aims to precisely evaluate seven core components of computational thinking and six programming concepts skills essential for CS students. The study, conducted at Rey Juan Carlos University and Atlantic Technological University Galway, involved a diverse sample of students from different year levels and programme specialisations. Through a rigorous research design, including sampling strategies and data collection tools, this study seeks to address critical research questions related to the measurement of variations in students’ computational thinking and programming skills by gender, university level, and location. By shedding light on the significance of computational thinking and programming in the educational realm, this research contributes to the existing literature and underscores the essential role of computational skills in the modern era.

Predictors of HIV/AIDS preventive behavior among undergraduate health science university students in Northwest Ethiopia, 2022. Institution-based cross-sectional study

IntroductionHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a major global public health issue, affecting millions of people annually. University students are among the risk groups in the community because of their high-risk behaviors. Few studies have been conducted on HIV/AIDS preventive behaviors and associated factors among university students. Therefore, focusing on these target populations is crucial because it will help university managers and different stakeholders be informed about the burden of the problem and take different measures to halt the distribution of the infection. ObjectiveTo assess the predictors of HIV/AIDS preventive behaviors among undergraduate Health Science University students in Northwest Ethiopia in 2022. MethodsThis study used an institution-based cross-sectional design with a single-population proportion formula, and participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were entered into Epi Data version 4.6.0.2 and exported to SPSS version 26 for cleaning and analysis, and the results were presented using text, graphs, pie charts, percentages, and frequencies. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used, and variables with a p-value of ≤0.25 in the bivariate analysis were entered into the multivariable analysis. A p-value of less than or equal to 0.05 in the multivariable analysis was considered statistically significant. ResultOut of 287 study participants, 284 of them responded completely, with a response rate of 99.0 %. Among the total respondents, 42.3 % (95 % CI: 37.7, 47.8) of the participants had poor HIV/AIDS preventive behavior. Younger age (AOR: 3.05; 95 % CI (1.243, 7.496)), low perceived susceptibility (AOR: 2.12; 95 % CI (1.179, 3.809), low perceived severity (AOR: 3.00; 95 % CI (1.636, 5.509)), high perceived barriers (AOR: 2.78; 95 % CI (1.487, 5.202)), and having poor HIV/AIDS preventive knowledge (AOR: 3.87; 95 % CI (2.170, 6.919)) were significantly associated with poor HIV/AIDS preventive behaviors. ConclusionThe HIV/AIDS preventive behavior of participants in this study was poor. Young age, low perceived susceptibility, low perceived severity, high perceived barriers, and poor HIV/AIDS preventive knowledge were predictors of poor HIV/AIDS preventive behavior. It is better to design strategies and programs by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, university top managers, and other stakeholders to provide appropriate information and focus on behavioral changes in vulnerable population groups.

Knowledge of Mobile Apps for Spoken English Among Arts and Science College Students

Knowledge of Mobile Apps for Spoken English Among Arts and Science College Students

Incidental Vocabulary Learning in a Postcolonial English Second Language Context

This study investigated the incidental English second-language (ESL) vocabulary development of 125 science university students over two years, as well as their productive vocabulary knowledge in relation to academic achievement. The study was conducted in Ghana, a typical postcolonial ESL country in West Africa. Results showed that productive knowledge of vocabulary at the 2000, 3000, and 5000-word levels was not mastered in academic year one. In spite of the poorly resourced educational context with limited print exposure, students’ longitudinal incidental vocabulary growth at the 3000-word level and academic word level was significant. Academic achievement was significantly predicted by word knowledge at these two levels. The study contributes to our understanding of incidental vocabulary learning in a “natural” ESL context, without language interventions. Given the predict ive factor of vocabulary knowledge on academic achievement, the integration of vocabulary instruction into the curriculum and establishm ent of required vocabulary thresholds seems warranted.

Stressed Out: Identifying Inequities and Underlying Causes Associated With Pre-med Student Stress

Stress is among the top mental health concerns of US college students and hypothesized to be especially high among pre-med students. Yet, the extent to which pre-meds’ stress differs from other college science students’ stress, as well as the underlying factors contributing to pre-meds’ stress are understudied. Given that stress is disproportionately likely to impact students who are already underrepresented and underserved in science and medicine, it is integral to identify what underlies student stress. Study Objective: We conducted a sequential mixed-methods study to identify what factors exacerbate pre-med stress and the severity of pre-med stress compared to students who are not pre-med. Hypothesis: We hypothesized the competitive nature of being pre-med would account for the majority of pre-med stress and that their overall stress levels would be higher than those of their counterparts. Methods: In Study 1, we conducted an exploratory qualitative interview study with 30 undergraduate pre-meds to assess what aspects of being pre-med exacerbate their stress. We built on this work in Study 2, with a survey of 551 science undergraduates to (a) assess how generalizable the findings from Study 1 were among undergraduate pre-meds at scale and to (b) assess whether students with different career tracks express different levels of stress. Our specific research questions were: 1) On average, do students perceive that pre-meds have higher stress than non-pre-med science majors? 2) Do pre-meds report higher levels of academic stress, perfectionism, social comparison, and perceived competitive environment in science college courses? 3) What aspects of being pre-med induce stress? and 4) What recommendations do pre-meds have for instructors and institutions to decrease pre-med stress? We used open coding methods and regressions to analyze our data. Results: We found that most students perceived that pre-med students had higher stress than their peers. However, while pre-meds reported higher levels of social comparison, they did not express higher academic stress, perfectionism, or perceived competition compared to their peers in science. Regardless of career path, being a woman or non-binary, identifying as a person excluded because of their ethnicity or race (PEER), financially unstable and having a lower GPA significantly predicted a higher academic stress score. Aspects of the medical school application underlying pre-med stress include worrying about not being good enough or maintaining a competitive GPA. Conclusion: This study highlights the levels of stress among pre-meds do not differ compared to non-pre-med science undergraduates, but that women or non-binary students, PEERs, students who are financially unstable and those with lower GPAs are more likely to experience stress in the context of undergraduate science. This work provides student-produced recommendations for ways in which instructors and institutions can decrease the stress associated with being a pre-med student. This study was funded by an ASU Online Undergraduate Research Scholars program seed grant. Graduate student Mohammed is funded by an NSF GRFP #026257-001 and PI Cooper is funded by an NSF CAREER #2143671. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

What Is Considered Healthy Eating? An Exploratory Study among College Students of Nutrition and Food Science.

In modern industrialized societies, the focus on healthy eating has increased significantly across multiple sectors, including the media, public policy, expert opinion, and public awareness. The aim of this research was to explore the perceptions of healthy eating and the barriers to adopting a healthy diet among undergraduate students in Human Nutrition and Dietetics (HND) and Food Science and Technology (FST) degrees in Spain. An exploratory and descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a qualitative and quantitative methodology and convenience sampling. Two focus groups and a questionnaire were utilized (300 participants from all academic years completed the survey). Differences in definitions of healthy eating and perceived barriers were found between genders and students at different stages of training (p < 0.05). In their understanding of healthy eating, the students placed importance on balance, variety, moderation, and individual factors. Although students considered it easy to follow a healthy diet, family's eating habits, time availability, and emotional states were found to be the main barriers to the implementation of healthy practices. The obtained data supports the need to critically address perceptions of healthy eating throughout the training of nutrition and food science professionals. The insights obtained on the perceived barriers highlight the importance of considering both individual and environmental factors.