General Student Population Research Articles

The use of e-cigarettes among university students in Malaysia.

INTRODUCTIONE-cigarette use is an emerging phenomenon with increasing recognition and acceptance globally. This study aims to create a profile of e-cigarette users among university students in Malaysia.METHODSThe study was conducted using a cross-sectional research involving six universities in Malaysia. A semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to 1302 randomly selected students, who either smoked cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes. The 2011 version of Global Adult Tobacco Surveys (GATS) tool was used to record the respondents’ sociodemographic data.RESULTSThe study revealed that 74.9% of the respondents smoked e-cigarettes; 40.3% used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes (dual users), and 34.5% were exclusive e-cigarette users. The exclusive use of e-cigarettes was related to gender (OR=0.18, 95% CI: 0.09–0.39). Also, male respondents were the majority users (95%). Of the respondents, 75.2 % were Malays, 98.0% single and most believed they have no health problems (92.1%). Further findings revealed the occurrence of adverse effects, dizziness 14.4%, cough 14.1%, and headaches 12.4%. Overall, 57.8% of the respondents used e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool, while others consider e-cigarettes a self-image enhancing tool or as part of social activities.CONCLUSIONSFurther research on the use of e-cigarettes should be conducted on a large number of respondents in other settings to augment the findings of this study, and also guide policy making on and prevention practice of e-cigarette use, among the general student population in Malaysia.

An urban university campus support program for students from foster care: Services and outcomes

PurposeThis study is an outcome evaluation of the Guardian Scholars Program (GSP) at San Francisco State University, which supports current and former foster care youth on the campus. GSP services include: case management, year-round housing, career planning, social activities, leadership opportunities, and scholarships. MethodsThis study examined a sample of all 194 GSP students ages 17 to 30 who received services from the Guardian Scholars Program between 2005 and 2017. ResultsThe program saw an 84% sophomore year retention rate, an 82% overall retention rate, and a 70% six-year graduation rate. These outcomes are better than the outcomes for the SF State general population of students, SF State Pell Grant recipients, and nationwide public university students. ConclusionsAlthough descriptive in nature, this study offers early evidence that comprehensive campus support programs may lead to improved academic outcomes for foster youth in undergraduate studies at four-year universities.

Recovery-Informed Education as a Means of Institutional Sustainability for CRPs

CRPs are uniquely positioned to be valuable assets for universities to address substance-related issues in the collegiate environment. Utilizing the experience of students and staff members engaged in recovery support services empowers CRPs to implement alcohol and other drug (AOD) programming for the general student population. This presentation will outline how CRPs can implement education programs within their university in order to provide wider support and resources as well as challenge injunctive norms on campus. By employing various education initiatives, CRPs can reach a broader range of students while also attaining sustainability within the university structure.

Reducing Stress and Promoting Social Integration of International Medical Students through a Tandem Program: Results of a Prospective-Program Evaluation.

Medical students, and especially international medical students (IMS), have been shown to experience more psychological distress than the general student population in Germany. In order to address these issues, a structured Tandem Program (TP) to reduce stress and foster social integration of IMS has been introduced at the Medical Faculty of Tuebingen. The Tandem Program was evaluated prospectively with perceived stress (PSQ-20) as the main outcome. Secondary outcomes were ‘motives to participate’ in the TP, ‘specific stressors’, and ‘experiences made’ during the program. Stress levels of IMS at the beginning of the program (t0) (M = 48.14, SD = 11.95) were higher than those of German participants (M = 39.33, SD = 8.31) (t (67) = −3.66, p < 0.001). At the end of the TP (t1), stress levels of international students were significantly lower than at t0. “Improved ability to work in a team” was seen as one of the most beneficial factors. The results indicate that tandem programs at medical faculties may be a promising curricular intervention towards reducing stress levels, improving integration of international students, and to enhance intercultural and team-oriented competencies in both international and national medical students.

Gender and Sexual Minority Students’ Engagement with School: the Impacts of Grades, Feeling Unsafe, and Gay/Straight Alliances

Compared to the general student population, gender and sexual minority (GSM) students are at increased risk of low academic achievement, poor attendance, and not completing high school with their cohort. One construct that has the potential to identify GSM students at increased risk for negative educational outcomes is school engagement. Based on self-report data from 411 middle and high school GSM students who attended community sexual minority youth support programming, this study utilized statistical stepwise regression to develop a model of behavioral and demographic variables that predicted a sexual minority student’s engagement with school. Confirmatory hierarchical regression found that school grades, feeling unsafe, and presence of a school-based Gay/Straight Alliance support group accounted for 31% of the variance seen in student school engagement scores. Recommendations for supporting the engagement of GSM students and future research are given.

Technology support for the inclusion of deaf students in mainstream schools: a summary of research from 2007 to 2017

The paper examines the use of technology as a means for the inclusion of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students in mainstream K-12 schools, covering the publications of the last decade. A systematic search of databases was carried out to locate theoretical and empirical studies investigating technologies as auxiliary or supporting tools for the inclusion of DHH students. Results are presented in two categories: (1) review/survey or theoretical papers and (2) studies of technology design and evaluation. Based on our findings, there is only preliminary evidence on how technology can support the inclusion of DHH students in mainstream schools. We argue that there is less need for research on technologies specialized on the disability, aiming to accommodate hearing loss, such as technologies to support the acquisition of sign language or speech-to-text translation of the teacher’s talk. There is a major need for technology integration and research on its real-world use and utility, towards the inclusion of all students in the mainstream classroom, serving the needs of both DHH students and the general student population.

Undiagnosed Hyperglycaemia and Hypertension as Indicators of the Various Risk Factors of Future Cardiovascular Disease Among Population of Serbian Students.

SummaryBackgroundA number of risk behaviours, such as smoking, overweight, excessive alcohol intake, insufficient physical activity, excessive and frequent intake of salt, reduced fruit and vegetable intake, increased fat intake, which constitute living habits of an individual can influence the occurrence of hypertension and hyperglycaemia. The changing of these lifestyles can reduce the risk of developing prehypertension and prediabetes.MethodsThe survey was conducted at student’s campuses. The respondents were subjected to the height, weight, blood glucose and blood pressure. Respondents filled in previously created questionnaire that was approved by the Ethics Committee for Biomedical Research Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade.ResultsThe percentage of respondents with a glucose value above the reference value was 14.6% (n=19), 2.4% (n=3) had values greater than 7 mmol/L without being diagnosed with diabetes, and accordingly, 2.4% (n=3) had elevated HbA1c values (above 42 mmol/mol or 6.0%). The percentage of respondents with elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 14.9% and 7.4% respectively. Regarding calculated risk scores, they showed parallel increase with increas-ing of BMI (HPS), systolic and diastolic pressure (OHS), and glucose concentration (OPS).ConclusionsWhen analysing all the factors that could cause the later development of diabetes, which is associated with hypertension as well, it is observed that the student population is very much exposed to those factors. The results of this study cannot be representative for the general population of students, but they can provide recommendations for further research.

Assessing the Impact of Reference Assistance and Library Instruction on Retention and Grades Using Student Tracking Technology

Abstract&#x0D; &#x0D; Objective – To assess the impact of community college academic librarians upon student retention and grades through reference desk visits and attendance in library instruction classes. &#x0D; &#x0D; Methods – Student ID data used for this research was collected from students that visited the reference desk to consult about a course-related question or attended a library instruction class for a specific course. After consenting to share their student ID number, the students’ IDs were scanned and uploaded to a Blackboard Analytics data warehouse. A Pyramid Analytics reporting tool was used to query and extract student-level retention and grade data based upon whether the student had visited the reference desk or attended a library instruction class. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to discern any statistical difference in retention rates and grades between students that engaged a librarian through reference or instruction and the general student population. &#x0D; &#x0D; Results – When comparing fall-to-fall retention for all degree-seeking students, students that visited the reference desk or attended a library instruction class had a statistically higher rate of retention. When comparing fall-to-fall retention within low-retention student cohorts, students that visited the reference desk or attended a library instruction class had higher rates of retention among all low-retention cohorts. Eight of 10 cohorts were statistically higher for library instruction and 6 of 10 cohorts were statistically higher for reference visits. With respect to course grades, only 1 of 5 high enrollment courses showed a higher grade average for students that attended a library instruction class. None of the differences in average grades between students that attended a library instruction class and all students in the five courses were statistically significant. For the impact of a reference visit upon a course grade, all five courses showed a higher average grade average for students that visited the reference desk for a question related to their course than all students in the course. Four of the 5 differences were statistically significant.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusions – The data collected by systematically tracking students that interact with community college librarians suggests that reference desk visits and attendance of library instruction classes both have a positive, statistically significant impact upon student retention. When looking at course grades, the data does not indicate a statistically significant positive or negative impact for library instruction. The impact of visiting the reference desk upon course grades does suggest a strong, statistically significant positive correlation.

You can't "nudge" nuggets: An investigation of college late-night dining with behavioral economics interventions.

A mixed-methods approach was used to evaluate and improve the “late-night dining” options in a university dining hall. Surveys assessed student desires for late-night offerings, and evaluated students’ habits and motivations during late-night dining. Two interventions were implemented to see if students could be “nudged” into different choice patterns. In the first, a “veggie-heavy” entrée was added at the beginning of the entrée line, so that students would substitute an entrée containing vegetables for the alternatives. In the second, a snack-food bar was set up to cater to students who didn’t want to stand in the long entrée line, and preferred a snack. Data on food choice was collected during the interventions. Survey responses showed significant differences in the reasons females and males utilized late-night dining (p<0.001). We also found that students at late-night dining had a lower emphasis on health than the general student population. Even students at late-night who reported being health-conscious showed no difference in food selections from students who said health was not important (p = 0.883). Veggie-heavy entrées had mild success in increasing vegetable selection. However, veggie-heavy entrées were largely ignored when the other option was chicken nuggets. The snack bar was very popular. Entrée placement and convenience lines may have mild impacts on food selection in a late-night dining environment.

Student affairs professionals play key role in success of student‐athletes

Due to the model of intercollegiate athletics, student‐athletes are recruited to attend our universities with the promise that their talent will afford them the opportunity to continue their education and passion for sport. However, too often student‐athletes get funneled into the “athlete” population and are segregated from the important support programs and systems that colleges and universities have in place for their general student population.

Applying the classroom assessment scoring system in classrooms serving students with emotional and behavioural disorders

ABSTRACTStudents with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders (EBD) have the poorest academic and social outcomes across the general and special education student populations, and are among the most likely to receive instruction in self-contained special education classrooms hallmarked by small teacher-student ratios, frequent transitions, extreme student behaviours, and the regular presence of multiple adults in the room. These characteristics differentiate the interactions between adults and students occurring in self-contained versus inclusive or general education settings. With the goal of improving outcomes for students with EBD in self-contained classrooms, this study used mixed-methods to examine the psychometric properties of the widely used Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Results suggest limitations in the applicability of the CLASS for self-contained classrooms.

A Profile of UK Doctoral Candidates in Social Work and Social Care

One important indication of the strength of a discipline is the state of its doctoral research. An important milestone for the official recognition of social work in the UK has been its inclusion in Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) doctoral funding schemes. The current study assesses the longer-term impact of these schemes, via a 2013 survey, following up a previous one in 2008. A web-based survey of social work doctoral candidates in the UK (n = 216) was conducted, to profile student demographics, research topics, methods, challenges of and supports for doctoral work. Most doctoral candidates (70 per cent) were using a primarily qualitative research strategy and only 4 per cent were using a primarily quantitative approach. Social work doctoral candidates were slightly less satisfied with their research degree programme than the general population of doctoral students. Key areas of similarity with the 2008 survey included the demographical profile (gender, age, ethnicity) and the percentage who were qualified social workers; key differences included increased percentages of candidates who were registered full time, funded by the ESRC and doing a Ph.D., as opposed to a professional doctorate. The findings highlight a need for capacity building in quantitative research methods and improved support for this academic community.

Exposure to Suicide in High Schools: Impact on Serious Suicidal Ideation/Behavior, Depression, Maladaptive Coping Strategies, and Attitudes toward Help-Seeking.

Adolescents’ exposure to a peer’s suicide has been found to be associated with, as well as to predict, suicidal ideation and behavior. Although postvention efforts tend to be school-based, little is known about the impact of a schoolmate’s suicide on the school’s student population overall. The present study seeks to determine whether there is excess psychological morbidity among students in a school where a schoolmate has died by suicide, and whether students’ attitudes about coping and help-seeking strategies are more or less problematic in such schools. Students in twelve high schools in Suffolk and Westchester counties in New York State—2865 students at six schools where a student had died by suicide within the past six months, and 2419 students at six schools where no suicide had occurred within the current students’ tenure—completed an assessment of their suicidal ideation and behavior, depressive symptoms, coping and help-seeking attitudes, stressful life events, and friendship with suicide decedent (if applicable). No excess morbidity (i.e., serious suicidal ideation/behavior and depression) was evident among the general student population after a schoolmate’s death by suicide; however, the risk of serious suicidal ideation/behavior was elevated among students at exposed schools who had concomitant negative life events. There was a significant relationship between friendship with the decedent and morbidity, in that students who were friends, but not close friends, of the decedents had the greatest odds of serious suicidal ideation/behavior. Overall, students in exposed schools had more adaptive attitudes toward help-seeking; but this was not true of the decedents’ friends or students with concomitant negative life events. The implications of the findings for postvention strategies are discussed.

Exploring poor sleep, mental health, and help‐seeking intention in university students

ObjectiveUniversity students experience common mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress along with poor‐sleep quality. This study explores the relationships between these concepts and help‐seeking intention in a general Australian university student population. The primary aim was to examine the moderating effects of sleep quality on help‐seeking intention for common mental health problems. The secondary aim was to examine sex differences in help‐seeking behaviour.MethodUniversity students, between 18 and 55 years of age (M = 30.18, SD = 11.37, N = 117) of which 98 were female, completed an on‐line survey assessing help‐seeking intentions, common mental health problems, and sleep quality.ResultsHigh levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were significantly associated with decreased sleep quality or decreased help‐seeking intention. A multiple regression analysis predicted that students were more likely to report intention to seek help if they had lower scores of depression, but higher scores of stress. Help‐seeking intention levels were lower for males than females. Poor‐sleep quality was not found to be a moderator of help‐seeking intention.ConclusionAlthough the proposed moderation effect of poor‐sleep quality on the relationship between common mental health problems and help‐seeking intention was not supported, the study advanced our knowledge of university students’ low intention to seek help, despite high scores of poor‐sleep quality. Implications for on‐campus interventions and raising awareness among students about these issues are discussed.

The climate for entrepreneurship at higher education institutions

While the importance of a supportive context for entrepreneurship is widely acknowledged, its antecedents are rarely investigated. We apply the concept of organizational climate to higher education institutions and examine the drivers of students’ perceptions of the entrepreneurial climate in their university. Combining data from two unique datasets and using multilevel techniques, we analyze the relationship between university characteristics and such climate perceptions of 8009 students at public universities in Germany. We find university entrepreneurship measures to have a positive effect on students’ climate perceptions, which also depend on students’ background and gender. In addition, we find evidence for different peer effects, depending on students’ affinity for entrepreneurship. For the general student population, including entrepreneurship content in their normal studies seems to be required to initiate a social process of sensemaking. However, students’ perception of the entrepreneurial climate only depend to a certain degree on intentional entrepreneurship measures. In our study, general university characteristics have the strongest influence on climate perceptions. Overall, our study adds to our understanding of which parameters are important for establishing a more favorable and inspiring climate for becoming an entrepreneur at higher education institutions.

WaLIDD score, a new tool to diagnose dysmenorrhea and predict medical leave in university students.

BackgroundDysmenorrhea is a frequent and misdiagnosed symptom affecting the quality of life in young women. A working ability, location, intensity, days of pain, dysmenorrhea (WaLIDD) score was designed to diagnose dysmenorrhea and to predict medical leave.MethodsThis cross-sectional design included young medical students, who completed a self-administered questionnaire that contained the verbal rating score (VRS; pain and drug subscales) and WaLIDD scales. The correlation between scales was established through Spearman test. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio (LR +/−) were evaluated to diagnose students availing medical leave due to dysmenorrhea; moreover, to predict medical leave in students with dysmenorrhea, a binary logistic regression was performed.ResultsIn all, 585 students, with a mean age of 21 years and menarche at 12 years, participated. Most of them had regular cycles, 5 days of menstrual blood flow and 1–2 days of lower abdominal pain. The WaLIDD scale presented an adequate internal consistency and strong correlation with VRS subscales. With a cutoff of >6 for WaLIDD and 2 for VRS subscales (drug subscale and pain subscale) to identify students with dysmenorrhea, these scales presented an area under the curve (AUC) ROC of 0.82, 0.62, and 0.67, respectively. To identify students taking medical leave due to dysmenorrhea, WaLIDD (cutoff >9) and VRS subscales (cutoff >2) presented an AUC ROC of 0.97, 0.68, and 0.81; moreover, the WaLIDD scale showed a good LR +14.2 (95% CI, 13.5–14.9), LR −0.00 (95% CI, undefined), and predictive risk (OR 5.38; 95% CI, 1.78–16.2).ConclusionThis research allowed a comparison between two multidimensional scales regarding their capabilities, one previously validated and a new one, to discriminate among the general population of medical students, among those with dysmenorrhea or those availing medical leave secondary to dysmenorrhea. WaLIDD score showed a larger effect size than the pain and drug score in the students. In addition, this study demonstrated the ability to predict this combination of events.

Female and Male Differences in Academic Achievement in Individuals With Cleft: A Population-Based Register Study.

The focus of this study was to determine if there is any significant difference in academic achievement for girls and boys with a cleft compared to the general population of Swedish students at graduation from compulsory school. A retrospective population-based study using data obtained from the Swedish Medical Birth Register that was linked to the Swedish School-Grade Register. Two hundred seventy girls and 241 boys with cleft palate (CP), 222 girls and 429 boys with cleft lip (CL), and 299 girls and 531 boys with cleft lip and palate (CLP) were compared with the compulsory school population comprising 609,397 girls and 640,007 boys. (1) Odds of receiving the lowest grade and reduced odds in receiving high grades in Mathematics, English, and Swedish. (2) grade point average (GPA). In all 3 subject grades, for boys with cleft there was no difference when compared to the male population. Girls with cleft were similar to their peers with a few exceptions. Girls with CLP had lower Math grades, and girls with CP had lower Math, English, and Swedish grades. Girls with CP and CLP achieved a significantly lower GPA in comparison to the female population and boys with CP and CL achieved lower GPAs in comparison to the male population. This study indicates that educational outcomes for girls with cleft are more negatively affected than for boys with cleft.

Eating habits associated with body weight gain in female university students

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore factors associated with body weight gain among British university students who were members of a slimming club. Design/methodology/approach Student members of a national commercial slimming programme completed an online survey about cooking ability, weight gain, eating habits and physical activity levels. Non-parametric statistical tests and regression analysis were employed to examine factors associated with weight gain. Findings The data set comprised 272 current students. The majority of students (67 per cent) reported weight gain between 3.2 and 12.7 kg during studying in university: 20.4 per cent reported to have gained &gt;12.7 kg. Students commonly attributed their weight gain to academic stress and nearly all identified with needing support to learn to cook on a budget. Students reporting greatest weight gain had most frequent consumption of ready meals &amp; convenience foods, take-away &amp; fast foods and least frequent consumption of fruits &amp; vegetables. Weight-stable students reported lowest consumption of alcohol and were most able to cook complex meals. Students who reported greatest weight gain reported lower physical activity levels. There were inter-correlations between cooking ability and lifestyle factors. In a multivariate model, low physical activity and frequent consumption of ready meals and convenience food independently predicted weight gain. Weight gain was inversely associated with diet quality, cooking ability and physical activity with reliance on ready meals &amp; convenience food and low physical activity particularly important. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these cross-sectional associations and to explore how the university setting may contribute to the effect. Originality/value The study adds additional perspective to understanding student weight gain at university in that it focuses on a body weight-conscious sub-group of the student population, as opposed to the general population of students.

Athletic Subculture Within Student-Athlete Academic Centers

Over 400,000 student-athletes participate in NCAA intercollegiate athletics programs. Due to their dual roles as student and athlete, they have a different college experience than the general student population. Specialized academic centers and resources for student-athletes are part of the reason they are separated and often isolated from the rest of campus. Teams have their own unique academic subculture that influences each student-athlete in his or her academic pursuits. The purpose of this study is to explore the athletic academic subculture among student-athletes at the Division I level and the role the athletic academic center and special resources play in cultivating a separate culture from the campus culture. Symbolic interactionism was the framework used as the lens to view the results of this study in the context of neoliberalism.

Childhood obesity prevention through a community-based cluster randomized controlled physical activity intervention among schools in china: the health legacy project of the 2nd world summer youth olympic Games (YOG-Obesity study)

Background:Childhood obesity has been becoming a worldwide public health problem. We conducted a community-based physical activity (PA) intervention program aiming at childhood obesity prevention in general student population in Nanjing of China, the host city of the 2nd World Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG-Obesity study).Methods:This was a cluster randomized controlled intervention study. Participants were the 4th (mean age±s.e.: 9.0±0.01) and 7th (mean age±s.e.: 12.0±0.01) grade students (mean age±s.e.: 10.5±0.02) from 48 schools and randomly allocated (1:1) to intervention or control groups at school level. Routine health education was provided to all schools, whereas the intervention schools additionally received an 1-year tailored multi-component PA intervention program, including classroom curricula, school environment support, family involvement and fun programs/events. The primary outcome measures were changes in body mass index, obesity occurrence and PA.Results:Overall, 9858 (97.7%) of the 10091 enrolled students completed the follow-up survey. Compared with the baseline, PA level increased by 33.13 min per week (s.e. 10.86) in the intervention group but decreased by 1.76 min per week (s.e. 11.53) in the control group (P=0.028). After adjustment for potential confounders, compared with the control group, the intervention group were more likely to have increased time of PA (adj. Odds ratio=1.15, 95% confidence interval=1.06–1.25), but had a smaller increase in mean body mass index (BMI) (0.22 (s.e. 0.02) vs 0.46 (0.02), P=0.01) and BMI z-score (0.07 (0.01) vs 0.16 (0.01), P=0.01), and were less likely to be obese (adj. Odds ratio=0.7, 95% confidence interval=0.6, 0.9) at study end. The intervention group had fewer new events of obesity/overweight but a larger proportion of formerly overweight/obese students having normal weight by study end.Conclusions:This large community-based PA intervention was feasible and effective in promoting PA and preventing obesity among the general student population in a large city in China. Experiences from this study are the lessons for China to control the childhood obesity epidemic.