College Years Research Articles

Effects of Inspiratory Muscles Training on the Development of Respiratory Function in University Students: A Case Study of Guangzhou Sport University

Background and Aim: The objective of this research was to develop Inspiratory Muscle Training for Respiratory Function in University Students. Materials and Methods: This research was experimental research. From the initial 48 third-year college students recruited at Guangzhou Sport University, we excluded 8 students who also participated in other sports programs or had school absences due to personal reasons, leaving the remaining 40 students as experimental subjects. They had just learned Four kinds of swimming in their second year of college and began the early stages of formal swimming training. Using the simple randomization method, 40 male college students were divided into two groups, one experimental group and one control group with 20 students in each group. The experimental group participated in the swimming training three times a week and designed the respiratory control training. The control group participated in swimming training three times a week, and the whole training time was 6 weeks. The specific approach is as follows: before the grouping, the 50-meter freestyle test was conducted, ranked according to the swimming result from the highest to the highest, and the balance was allocated to the experimental group and the control group. This study investigated the effects of inspiratory muscle training on respiratory function in college swimmers from four aspects: (1) VC (vital capacity), (2) MIP (maximum inspiratory pressure), (3) MIF (maximum inspiratory flow), and (4) MIC (maximum inspiratory capacity). In this research, T-test and ANOVA were used to compare and analyze the data. The statistical significance level was 0.05. Result: After 6 weeks of continuous inspiratory muscle training in swimmers, regarding the index of vital capacity (VC), there was no significant change in the control group. However, there was a significant increase in the experimental group (p=0.01); regarding the three indicators of maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximum inspiratory flow (MIF), and maximum inspiratory capacity (MIC): both the experimental group and the control group showed an improvement, but the experimental group showed a greater improvement, and the enhancement appeared earlier. Conclusion: Inspiratory muscle training is beneficial to the development of respiratory function in university students.

“I Wasn't Expecting That Question”: Responses to Requests for Abortion Referral at College Student Health Centers

BackgroundWomen 18–24 years of age have the highest proportion of unintended pregnancies of any age group, and thus represent a significant population in need of abortion services. Prior research indicated that only half of college student health centers provide appropriate abortion referrals. Our objective was to better understand the referral experience and barriers to abortion referral at college student health centers. ProceduresWe conducted a “secret caller” study at all 4-year colleges in Pennsylvania between June 2017 and April 2018, using a structured script requesting abortion referral. Calls were transcribed, coded using an iteratively developed codebook, and analyzed for themes related to barriers and facilitators of abortion referral. Main FindingsA total of 202 completed transcripts were reviewed. Themes that emerged were knowledge, experience, and comfort with abortion referral; support, empathy, and reassurance; coercion; misleading language; questioning the caller's autonomy; and institutional policy against referral. Most staff lacked knowledge and comfort with abortion referral. Although some staff members made supportive statements toward the caller, others used coercive language to try to dissuade the caller from an abortion. Many staff cited religious institutional policies against abortion referral and expressed a range of feelings about such policies. ConclusionsAbortion referrals at student health centers lack consistency. Staff members frequently did not have the knowledge needed to provide appropriate abortion referrals, used coercive language in responding to requests for referrals, and perpetuated abortion stigma. Some health staff used coercive or evasive language that further stigmatized the caller's request for an abortion referral. College health centers should improve training and resources around abortion referral to ensure they are delivering appropriate, high-quality care.

Development of Flipped Classroom Teaching Program on Children’s Basic Gymnastics in Higher Vocation College

Background and Aim: The research aims to design the flipped classroom teaching of children's basic gymnastics in Chinese higher vocational colleges, compare children’s basic gymnastics skills between using a flipped classroom teaching program and a traditional teaching program, and then promote the gymnastics teaching in Chinese higher vocational colleges. Materials and Methods: The sample of this research was 60 students from two natural classes of “Children's Basic Gymnastics” in the 2023 academic year of Dongguan Vocational and Technical College. 60 students which was divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group was using the flipped classroom teaching program, the control group was using the traditional teaching program. A questionnaire survey method and an In-depth interview method were conducted to develop the teaching content of children's basic gymnastics course. The experimental period was 8 weeks, including 24 theory classes and 26 practice classes. Using mean, standard deviation, and independent sample T-test to analyze the data. Result: The result shows that the total performance and skill performance of the experimental group and the control group are significantly different, and the experimental group is better than the control group. However, there is no significant difference in the physical quality of the two groups. Conclusion: In the teaching of children's basic gymnastics in higher vocational colleges, the effect of the flipped classroom teaching program is better than the traditional teaching program, which has a significant effect on the children's basic gymnastics learning performance of students.

'A profound effect on how I see myself and the world around me': what students found meaningful about taking an academic course intended to reduce campus sexual violence.

Sexual violence is common on US college campuses and can result in negative health and academic outcomes. Credit-bearing courses are a possible innovative intervention, but few have been studied, and little is known about enrolled students' experiences. Our institution, located in the Southern United States, developed a semester-long class as a curricular intervention after our institutional climate survey results showed high rates of sexual violence among undergraduate students. Students enrolled in the course wrote a final reflection paper on what they found meaningful about the class (N = 62). Qualitative conventional content analysis was used to examine what students found most salient. Three overarching categories emerged: course content, course delivery and course impact, each with multiple themes. For course content, students wrote about 22 different topics from the class. For course delivery, students discussed the open forum to discuss sexuality, the importance of taking the course in their first year of college and the course structure. For course impact, students discussed gaining new knowledge, questioning prior assumptions, experiencing personal transformation and feeling empowered to act. Results indicated that students had a powerful class experience and that this kind of educational intervention has the potential to positively impact enrolled students.

Prevailing Themes Across Corequisite Mathematics Courses: A Systematic Review

Adopting corequisite mathematics models to accelerate students’ completion of their introductory college-level mathematics course in their first year of college is prevalent across higher education institutions. This systematic review demonstrates the known research, evidence, and diversity of implemented corequisite mathematics models for prevailing themes across peer-reviewed articles.

School starting age and the impact on school admission

This study employs Chilean administrative data to investigate the impact of school starting age on the characteristics of students’ initial enrolled schools. Employing minimum age requirements and an RD design to mitigate endogeneity concerns, we identify benefits linked to commencing school at a later age. Our findings demonstrate that children starting school at an older age enroll in institutions with higher average scores in standardized tests and interact with older peers whose parents have higher education levels. Furthermore, they display a heightened likelihood of entering schools employing academic selection methods, a greater proportion of full-time teachers, and a larger percentage of instructors with a 4-year college degree. The analysis by level of education of the parents and gender reveals that most of our results are driven by parents with lower levels of education and girls. Subgroup analyses further reveal that many of our results are driven by parents with lower levels of education and parents of girls.

Social cognitive and affective neuroscience: the college years.

Social cognitive and affective neuroscience: the college years.

Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants and Nicotine Among Community College Students

Objective: Despite community colleges accounting for 34% of all undergraduate enrollment, research on substance-use patterns among community college students is limited. Community college students may engage in substance use differently than their 4-year university counterparts due to differences in psychosocial factors and decreased availability of mental health services. The current study aimed to elucidate risk factors underlying non-medical use of prescription simulants (NMUS) and nicotine use by community college students. Methods: A web-based survey was administered to 10 of 13 community colleges within a southeastern state’s Board of Regents school system. The survey included questions related to NMUS, nicotine use, alcohol use, mental health diagnosis, and demographics. Results: Overall, 9% of the participants reported NMUS, and 24.6% used nicotine. Multivariate analysis of variance and χ2 tests revealed group differences among individuals using only nicotine, only NMUS, both nicotine and NMUS, and neither nicotine nor NMUS. Post-hoc 2 × 2 χ2 tests indicated that individuals using both nicotine and NMUS had higher incidence of mental health diagnoses, were more likely to live in urban areas, reported higher weekly alcohol consumption, and were more likely to be male as compared to individuals using neither substance. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms were higher in individuals using only NMUS and both NMUS and nicotine as compared to those using only nicotine or neither substance. Conclusions: These findings provide insight into demographic and psychological variables associated with NMUS and nicotine use among community college students that could be benefitted by greater access to affordable mental health services.

The prevalence of beta-blocker use among medical students in Saudi Arabia

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of beta blockers' use in Saudi medical students in all regions in Saudi Arabia during their college years. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted targeting medical students in all regions of Saudi Arabia during their college years. A total of 745 students were included. The questionnaire used was divided into three main parts. Demographic information, if they were offered or recommended to use propranolol, and details about the use of propranolol. Results: Out of total, 15.3% reported using propranolol, 20.9% participants were recommended beta blockers, but only 17.6% had offered them. Usage of beta blockers was significantly higher among clinical year students compared to junior students. Gender, region, and GPA did not show differences in beta-blocker use among students. The most common reasons for using propranolol were anxiety relief (82.2%), performance enhancement (41.5%), before the objective structured clinical exams (OSCEs; 70.3%). Conclusion: The prevalence of beta-blocker utilization among medical students in Saudi Arabia appeared to be notably elevated compared to reported figures from European nations. The findings from the current research indicated a noticeable increase in beta-blocker usage among students who were engaged in smoking, used illegal or psychoactive substances, or consumed energy drinks. There is a need to raise awareness about the risks and implications of using beta-blockers without medical guidance.

Recognition of situations of sexual harassment in medical students at the Concepción Campus of the Andrés Bello University, Chile

Introduction: sexual harassment is defined as unwanted or non-consensual sexual behavior that occurs in verbal, non-verbal, physical, psychological, or visual forms and is experienced at different ages and contexts. Aim: to describe the level of recognition of situations of sexual harassment in medical students at the Andrés Bello University, Concepción, Chile. Methods: this is a descriptive cross-sectional study. A total of 94 students from first to seventh grade participated voluntarily and anonymously. Data were obtained through the application of an online survey and then analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics v.20 software. Results: the age was 23,1 ± 1,9 years. Most of them were in their third year of college and identified as women. A total of 42,6 % (n=40) admitted to having suffered sexual harassment at some point on or off the university premises, with the most frequent situation being the direct receipt of offensive jokes, jokes or compliments with sexual intent (51,1 %; n=48). Women were the ones who most recognized situations of sexual harassment. Conclusions: a considerable proportion of the participants, mostly women, acknowledged situations of sexual harassment

The classroom teaching reform of “Computer Network” course of “three paragraphs and three levels, the combination of evaluation and questioning, and multiple assessment”

The computer network course is a compulsory course for computer majors, which is offered in the second semester of the second year of college. Students' understanding of the network is in the simple application level, and they lack the thinking and ability to analyze and solve network problems from a professional perspective. This paper focuses on the research and practice of the traditional classroom of computer network, takes "theme" as the center to reconstruct the teaching content, adopts the "three paragraphs and three levels" online and offline mixed teaching mode, and solves the problems that the knowledge points in the traditional teaching are low correlation and students cannot apply what they have learned. It has some practical reference value for teachers to broaden teaching ideas and choose teaching methods in classroom teaching in the future.

Exploring clusters of defence styles, psychiatric symptoms, and academic achievements among medical students in Saudi Arabia

Objective: This study aimed to identify clusters of defence mechanisms and their relationship with academic performance and mental health outcomes among medical students at five different universities in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered online-based validated questionnaire. The questionnaire included sections on demographics, grades obtained in annual examinations, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Defense Style Questionnaire-40 (DSQ-40). Results: A total of 997 medical students were included in the analysis, with 47.2% being male. Majority of the participants were in their 3rd and 6th year of college, and most were single. Among the participants, 16.8% reported being smokers. Based on academic achievements, 54.9% students were classified as low achievers, while 45.0% were classified as high achievers. The high achievers cluster was much larger than the low achievers cluster, with a ratio of sizes of 7.51. The low achievers cluster exhibited higher mean scores for traits such as immaturity, neuroticism, and suppression compared to the high achievers cluster. However, depression scores were similar in both clusters, while anxiety scores were significantly higher in the high achievers cluster. The high achievers cluster showed lower values for characteristics such as autistic fantasy, suppression, and anticipation. Conclusions: This study identified two distinct clusters of defence mechanisms among medical students in Saudi Arabia, which were associated with differences in academic performance and personality traits. High achievers demonstrated a higher proportion of mature defence mechanisms, while low achievers exhibited a higher prevalence of immature defence mechanisms.

A10: Analyzing Perceptual Differences Toward Esports Among Students Across Various Educational Levels of America

Purpose: Electronic sports (Esports) draw increasing attention in the world and become popular across institutions of American higher education. Scholars in Esports research have explored various findings and discussions related to education, marketing and promotion, organization and management, and sociology and psychology of sport. However, the perceptual differences of Esports participants remain unknown across educational levels across American institutions. The purposes of this study were to examine the perceptual differences toward Esports across educational levels in the United States. Methods: A total of 397 voluntary participates with various education levels took part in a reginal survey in the east coast of United States. The participants included the students from high schools (n = 135), 2-year colleges (n = 90), 4-year colleges (n = 132), and graduate schools (n = 40). A validated and reliable instrument of Profile for Perception of Esports (PEP; Chen et al., 2021) was utilized as the survey instrument. PEP includes 22 items categorized as five factors (Attraction, Socialization, Economics, Technicity, Constraints). After approval by the institutional review board (IRB), the survey was conducted among three selected high schools, two community colleges, and three 4-year universities including graduate schools or programs. The valid data was analyzed by using SPSS 28.00. Reliability, ANOVAs, and Post hoc Scheff tests were utilized to interpret the data. Results: The Cronbach’s Alpha of the PEP was 0.842 in this study. ANOVAs indicated significant differences in the factor of Attraction (F = 2.61, p < 0.05), Technicity (F = 4.28, p < 0.01), and Socialization (F = 2.52, p < 0.05). Post hoc Scheff tests further explored that the high school group scored significantly higher than the Graduate school group (M = 4.58 vs. M = 3.85) on the factor of Technicity. The 2-year college group rated substantially higher on the factor of Attraction compared to the high school student group (p < .05, M = 4.86 vs. M = 4.59), undergraduate group (p < .05, M = 4.86 vs. M = 4.62), and graduate school group (M = 4.86 vs. M = 4.09). In addition, the 2-year college group scored considerably higher than the graduate study group (p < .05, M = 5.03 vs. M = 4.34) on the factor of Socialization. Conclusion: The research indicated that Esports participants in lower education level students perceived higher than the participants in higher educational levels in Attraction, Socialization, and Technicity of Esports. This could be attributed to the fact that the students at lower educational level might have spent more time participating in electronic sports or digital game activities. In comparison, the participants at higher educational levels perhaps spent more time on their academic work and further career development. Future research on this direction could examine perceptual differences of Esports among the participants across K-12 schools or be compared in international settings.

Assessing Atlanta’s Placed-Based College Scholarship

We investigate whether and how Achieve Atlanta’s college scholarship and associated services impact college enrollment, persistence, and graduation among Atlanta Public School graduates experiencing low household income. Qualifying for the scholarship of up to $5,000 per year does not meaningfully change college enrollment among those near the high school GPA eligibility thresholds. However, scholarship receipt does have large and statistically significant effects on early college persistence (i.e., 14%) that continue through BA degree completion within 4 years (22%), although scholarship receipt does not impact graduation from 2-year colleges. We discuss how the selection criteria and processes of place-based programs intended for those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds may influence results for different types of students.

Responsible Mischief: Roth as Reader

Abstract: Roth, as we know, had many identities, but he was always a reader. This paper explores how literature helped him forge an identity, starting in adolescence, his book-besotted college years, and beyond. Like all great writers, Roth was a great reader, consuming novels, stories, and essays in great, gluttonous gulps. Roth read for many reasons, some banal, some surprising, but in a life of flux, books were a constant. They offered pleasure, stimulation, and distraction. In a way, Roth's longest, deepest relationship was with literature. What he read nourished what he wrote; indeed, Roth's books would have many blank pages if one removed the literary allusions. The intimate connection between the man, his reading, and his writing is what we'll explore—in several ways. First, through a discursive peek into Roth's vast library, donated to the Newark Public Library and carefully preserved per Roth's instructions. Second, by reading Roth's own testimony, in interviews, public events, and private correspondence. By way of context, we'll consider libraries—what they reveal, what they conceal—and the paradoxical nature of reading itself. Finally, we'll shine a bright biographical light on Roth himself. Using his reading as a lens, we'll explore periods of formation and transformation, including the late-life changes that produced his haunted (and haunting) final novels. Throughout our investigation, we'll attempt to answer a single question: how was Roth-the-reader different from the other Roths we've come to know?

An indicator of the view of time passing: the development and validation of the metacognitive knowledge of time passing scale (MKTPS) in Chinese college students.

How we view the passage of past time determines how we face time itself as well as our futures, which has a strong impact particularly during the highly creative and malleable college years. Chinese culture cherishes time deeply, and for centuries there has been a tradition of "educating children and youth to inspect the passage of time." However, in today's age of information and intelligence, time has shown a trend toward fragmentation. How do contemporary Chinese college students view the passage of time, and what structures or content does it contain? The answer to this question remains uncertain, necessitating further exploration. Following Flavell's theory of metacognitive knowledge (MK), we adopted a semi-structured interview method and used the results to first outline the basic structure of Chinese college students' view of time passing, identifying four major aspects: priming aftereffect, life touching, positive promotion, and negative inhibition. Then, using the initial four-dimensional structure as a starting point, we developed the Metacognitive Knowledge of Time Passing Scale (MKTPS), and carried out exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to test its fit. The results showed that the four-factor scale and its 22 items had a good fit to the data. Third, the reliability and validity of the self-developed scale were tested. The results show that the internal consistency, split-half, and retest reliability of the MKTPS are good (all rs > 0.60). The construct validity of the MKTPS is also good (r between subscales is 0.33-0.60, r between subscales and total scale is 0.64-0.87), the convergent validity with Zimbardo's negative past time perspective is high (r = 0.37), and the discriminant validity with Zimbardo's future time perspective is significant (r = 0.18). Regarding criterion correlation validity, the total scores of the MKTPS have a significantly higher positive correlation with those of the time management disposition (TMD) scale (r = 0.45). Future points for studying the view of time passing in adults of all ages and across cultures field and shortcomings of the current study are also discussed.

Testing exploratory narrative processing as a mechanism of change in identity status processes over 4 years in college-going emerging adults.

We examined the critical task of emerging adulthood-identity development-via analyses of trajectories of identity exploration and commitment over the college years, as well as whether narrative processing of important events during this period served as a mechanism of identity exploration and commitment. We took advantage of a unique and comprehensive longitudinal design, which included 12 waves of data, both quantitative and qualitative assessments, collected over 4 years, on two distinct college campuses in the Northwestern and Northeastern regions of the United States (Wave 1, n = 639; growth models using all waves, n = 251). Analyses for this study were preregistered after data collection was complete. We first examined trajectories of exploration and commitment via the dual-cycle identity model. Second, we examined whether exploratory processing in the narration of future self-defining memories at specific waves predicted changes in exploration and commitment in subsequent waves. Findings indicated that exploration and commitment showed trajectories typically viewed as normative (e.g., increasing adaptive forms of exploration and commitment), although trajectories for those at higher socioeconomic statuses differed by showing more exploration and less commitment. We failed to find evidence that exploratory processing predicted changes in exploration and commitment. Implications include distinctions in measurement and theoretical approaches to the study of identity development, the need for greater understanding of what is developing before theorizing how it develops, and the limitations of what is considered normative without attention to structural constraints, such as social class. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Gender Inequity in Clinical Clerkships and its Influence on Career Selection: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

The aim of this study was to identify the frequency, form, and underlying factors contributing to gender inequity experienced by medical undergraduates and assess its influence on their career choices. This was a cross-sectional, retrospective survey with a 100% response rate. This survey was distributed among medical students of clinical years in Karachi's private and government medical colleges from September 10th, 2021-March 30th, 2022. 430 participants were enrolled using a simple-random-sampling-technique. Chi-square/Fisher's Exact tests are employed to assess the relationships between gender and gender-based inequity in various specialties, including their characteristics, influence on career choices, adverse psychological effects, and potential mitigation strategies. Among 430 respondents, 28.6% were male, and 71.4% were female. 89.1% reported gender inequity, evenly distributed in government (80.4%) and private institutions (88.1%). The general surgery and gynecology disciplines stood out, each with a 56% prevalence. In gynecology and surgery clinical-clerkships, both genders experienced similar rates, with females at 54.5% and 42.3%, and males at 56.7% and 61.6%, respectively (P-value = .000*). Disrespect from staff/professors/patients (48.8%) was the most common manifestation, driven by factors like preferences (73.7%), gender superiority (62.6%), societal attitudes (54%), and cultural norms (50.9%). Furthermore, 82.6% of students reported that gender inequity had a negative impact on their career decision (Male = 82.9%;Female = 82.4%, P-value = .899). Additionally, gender inequity also caused demotivation (78.1%), poor self-esteem (67.2%), helplessness/hopelessness (48.6%), and frustration (45.8%). Gender inequity is widely prevalent in the clinical-clerkships, affecting medical students' career decisions and mental health, stressing the need to prioritize and implement solutions at the undergraduate clinical-clerkship level.

A cross-sectional study on the etiological spectrum and morbidity profile among geriatric patients: A hospital-based study

Background: Elderly people are now the most rapidly growing population group worldwide, and the challenge ahead for the health-care system is to ensure the quality of life and provide adequate health care for a large group the of geriatric population. Aims and Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine the most common causes of emergency hospital admission of geriatric patients and to evaluate their morbidity profile. Materials and Methods: This present study was carried out on 208 geriatric patients (age >60 years) in a medical college and teaching hospital, in eastern India between May 2019 and October 2020 after taking institutional ethical clearance and informed consent of the participants. Results: Nearly 38.9% of the participants belonged to the age group of 60–70 years. 73.7% of the participants presented with respiratory diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory failure), 21.0% had pulmonary tuberculosis, and 5.3% had cancer lung. Nearly 88.46% had endocrinal morbidity, followed by cardiovascular morbidity (74.03%) and respiratory morbidity (62.50%). 81.25% of the participants had diabetes, and 60.58% suffered from musculoskeletal disorder. 36.53% had osteoarthritis and 22.59% had rheumatoid arthritis. Conclusion: The present study result showed the most common presentation in hospital admissions during the emergency in the elderly were cardiovascular, respiratory diseases, neurological causes, and gastrointestinal disorders. The majority of cases had three or more complications necessitating admission contributing to a higher disease burden in the elderly.

The pandemic and social experience: For whom did discrimination and social isolation increase?

The objective of this study was to examine whether experiences of discrimination have increased during the pandemic, particularly among negatively stigmatized racial/ethnic groups, and whether such experiences have exacerbated feelings of social isolation. Discrimination and social isolation were assessed before and during the pandemic in a sample of 263 Black and White young adults attending a large, predominantly White 4-year research university in the Southeastern region of the United States (52% Black, 48% White, 53% female, mean age = 19.2). Increases in discrimination were evident among Black but not White participants. Black participants also reported greater increases in social isolation than White participants, and changes in discrimination partially mediated the emergent racial disparity in social isolation. Findings are consistent with theoretical perspectives on discrimination during times of stress and suggest the need for broader attention to the impact of the pandemic on unfair treatment of stigmatized groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).