Midwestern University Students Research Articles

Modeling college student intimate partner violence perpetration, eating disorder symptomatology, and alcohol salience

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration’s relationship with alcohol salience to college experience and eating disorder (ED) symptomatology is not well understood. Midwestern university students (n = 1580) participated in an online survey. Structural equation models examined the relationship between these variables. All models fit the data well, however, the risk factors of IPV perpetration or alcohol use were not significantly associated with ED symptomatology. However, IPV perpetration was significantly associated with both alcohol use (β = .13, p < .01) and alcohol salience (β = .11, p < .01). College students reported higher levels of perpetration and alcohol salience, which may indicate alcohol-fueled social interactions.

Physical Health Outcomes of Trauma Exposure Across the Lifespan.

Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are established risk factors for poorer physical health. Prior work has focused on childhood adversities and PTSS in relation to physical health conditions, but trauma exposure over the lifespan has been overlooked. Further, the associations between trauma and PTSS and other physical health markers, such as diet and exercise, are less clear. Very little is known regarding how different trauma types (i.e., interpersonal, non-interpersonal), may be tied to aspects of physical health. To expand this area of research, this study aimed to: (a) examine the links between cumulative trauma and PTSS, and body mass index (BMI), diet, and exercise; and (b) investigate the relations between interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma and these three health indices, while controlling for PTSS. Participants were 493 Midwestern University students (Mage = 23.87, standard deviation [SD] = 6.90, range = 18-63; 79.3% female; 57.4% White). Cumulative trauma corresponded with higher BMIs and less exercise use (B = 0.10; B = -0.09), while PTSS were unrelated. Conversely, PTSS were tied to greater consumption of added sugars (B = 0.11), and cumulative trauma was not linked with diet. Interpersonal and non-interpersonal traumas were not tied to BMI or exercise, although interpersonal trauma and PTSS were linked with greater sugar intake and non-interpersonal trauma was associated with fruit and vegetable consumption. Trauma exposure and PTSS may have complicated and distinct associations with physical health indices, such as BMI, diet, and exercise, and additional research is needed to further parse out these relations.

OR23-03-23 The SNAP for U Study: Using a Formative Approach To Inform a SNAP Intervention Targeting Midwestern College Students

OR23-03-23 The SNAP for U Study: Using a Formative Approach To Inform a SNAP Intervention Targeting Midwestern College Students

How Midwestern College students protected their families in the first year of COVID-19.

College students routinely visit their families due to geographic proximity and their financial dependence. Consequently, the potential of transmitting COVID-19 from campus to their families' homes is consequential. Family members are key sources of support for one another in nearly all matters but there is little research uncovering the mechanisms by which families have protected each other in the pandemic. Through an exploratory qualitative study, we examined the perspectives of a diverse, randomly sampled, group of students from a Midwestern University (pseudonym), in a college town, to identify COVID-19 prevention practices with their family members. We interviewed 33 students between the end of December 2020 and mid-April 2021 and conducted a thematic analysis through an iterative process. Students navigated major differences in opinions and undertook significant actions in attempts to protect their family members from COVID-19 exposure. Students' actions were rooted in the greater good of public health; prosocial behavior was on display. Larger public health initiatives could target the broader population by involving students as messengers.

Differences in Perceived Stress and Depression among Weight (Dis)Satisfied Midwestern College Students during COVID-19

Background: Stress and depression are common mental health concerns among college students. Factors related to weight status and stigma are associated with poor mental health outcomes. We sought to describe the prevalence of weight dissatisfaction in relation to stress and depression among college students (n = 551). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted via a convenient sample between December 2020 and February 2021. Mean differences in the Perceived Stress Scale-10 scores and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale scores were examined using a one-way analysis of variance. Associations between stress, depression, and weight dissatisfaction were measured by logistic regression. Results: Weight dissatisfied (75.1%) students had significantly higher mean depression scores compared to weight satisfied. The weight dissatisfied students were 1.05 times more likely to be depressed compared to those who were weight satisfied. Significant mean differences in stress and/or depression were found for weight dissatisfied students by gender, race, parental status, marital status, residence, and U.S. citizenship. Weight dissatisfaction was higher than that reported in the literature, possibly due to the influence of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: Strategies to reduce the prevalence of weight dissatisfaction for improved mental health should be explored, particularly efforts to reduce weight stigmatization and expand access to mental health care.

Tracking Changes in the Endorsement of Injunctive Drinking Norms in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Using Longitudinal Alignment Analysis.

The onset of the pandemic saw shifts in messaging around the acceptability of alcohol consumption at different times and contexts. A psychometric analysis of responses to injunctive norms may reveal important differences in specific aspects of norms that were influenced by the pandemic. Study 1 used alignment analysis to evaluate measurement invariance in low- and high-risk injunctive norms across samples of Midwestern college students from 2019 to 2021. Study 2 used an alignment-within-confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach to replicate the solution from Study 1 in an independent longitudinal sample (N = 1,148) who responded between 2019 and 2021. For Study 1, the latent mean for high-risk norms was significantly higher in 2021, and the endorsement of four specific norms also differed. In Study 2, increases in latent means for low- and high-risk norms were observed across 2020 and 2021, and differential endorsement emerged for one high-risk norm item. Examining scale-level changes in injunctive drinking norms provides insight into how college students' perceptions changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mitigating the Spread of COVID-19: Differential Perceptions of Midwestern University Students.

Racially minoritized groups have disproportionately borne the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in America. We draw on Public Health Critical Race Praxis to investigate racial differences in college students' attitudes about mitigation efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 and concerns about one's own and others' actions in these efforts. We used survey data from a random sample of Midwestern undergraduates (n = 620) who participated in a fall 2020 COVID-19 study; chi-square tests and logistic regression modeling were employed. Students of color were more likely than white students to report mitigation strategies as not sufficiently restrictive and that communities ought to prioritize limiting the spread of COVID-19. Students of color were also more likely to be concerned that the actions of others were spreading COVID-19. Universities need to continuously ask how their policies and practices acknowledge the broader racial context and seek the perspectives of diverse students.

Examining awareness of privilege among midwestern college students: An analysis of race/ethnicity, gender, and religion.

Dominant group members often are not aware of the privileges they benefit from due to their dominant group membership. Yet individuals are members of multiple groups and may simultaneously occupy multiple categories of dominance and marginality, raising the question of how different group memberships work in concert to facilitate or inhibit awareness of multiple forms of privilege. Examining awareness of privilege is important as awareness may be linked to action to dismantle systems of privilege that maintain oppression and inequality. Grounded in intersectional scholarship, in this study we examined how occupying intersecting categories of race/ethnicity, gender, and religion corresponded to an awareness of White, male, and Christian privilege. In a sample of 2321 Midwestern college students, we demonstrated that students from marginalized groups broadly reported greater awareness of all forms of privilege than students from dominant groups, and the difference between marginalized and dominant groups was most pronounced when the specific group category (e.g., gender) aligned with the type of privilege (e.g., male privilege). We also tested interactions among race/ethnicity, gender, and religion, only finding an interaction between race/ethnicity and religion for awareness of White and male privilege. These findings helped to clarify that multiple group memberships tended to contribute to awareness as multiple main effects rather than as multiplicative. Finally, we examined mean differences among the eight intersected groups to explore similarities and differences among groups in awareness of all types of privilege. Taken together, these findings quantitatively demonstrate the ways in which group memberships work together to contribute to awareness of multiple forms of privilege. We discuss study limitations and implications for community psychology research and practice.

Improving Sexual Health Education by Examining Protective Factors against Sexual Assault

This study examined the content, timing, and perceived effectiveness of college student’s previous preschool-12th grade sexual health education and evaluated differences among those who had experienced sexual assault. 964 Midwestern university students completed an online survey recalling their prior sexual health education curriculum. First sexual assaults among students increased between eighth and ninth grade but occurred most frequently in college. Students who experienced sexual assault were also more likely to rate their programming as less effective than those in the non-assault category. Those who had experienced sexual assault reported lower rates of being taught about healthy relationships, good touch versus bad touch, communication during sexual encounters, and the definition of sexual assault. Additionally, receiving information about healthy relationships was associated with the nonoccurrence of sexual assault. Results suggest these four topics, especially healthy relationships, should be taught before the eighth grade to proactively establish protective factors against sexual assault which may be utilized into students’ young adulthood.

Does cigarette or E-cigarette use increase the risk for SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion among Midwestern college students?

Objective This longitudinal study tested the relationship between cigarette and e-cigarette use and SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion among US college students. Participants Undergraduate students (n = 764), drawn from a randomly selected invitation-only pool from a large Midwestern university, that were initially negative for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and were re-tested in November were included in this study conducted in Fall 2020. Methods Demographics and cigarette and e-cigarette use behaviors (nicotine use) were collected in a baseline survey. SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests were administered in September (baseline) and November (endline) of 2020. Log-binomial regression analyses were conducted to test the association between nicotine use and SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion. Results SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion was 5.2%. No statistically significant associations were found between nicotine use and SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion. Conclusions Contrary to prior results, we found no association between nicotine use and SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion. Nicotine use may not be a key risk factor for COVID-19 acquisition in predominantly healthy college-aged populations.

The Impact of Acquiring Childhood Cooking Skills on Adults’ Dietary Behaviors

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to determine whether the age of learning cooking skills promotes higher cooking confidence and diet quality during adulthood. Additionally, the study investigated the impact of learning cooking skills from various sources on diet quality and cooking confidence in adulthood. MethodsA cross-sectional survey study was conducted with a sample of 487 midwestern college students between 20 and 40 years old. The survey included demographic information, validated Short Healthy Eating Index scale to measure diet quality, and Cooking Skills Scale to assess cooking skills confidence. Participants also reported the age at which they acquired most of their cooking skills, as well as the sources for their learned skills. Data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA with post hoc analyses and a two-independent samples t-test at a significance level of .05. ResultsMost participants who learned to cook before adulthood learned during adolescence. However, the age for acquiring cooking skills did not significantly impact adults’ diet quality (p = 0.247). Participants who learned cooking skills during childhood (<12 years) and as teenagers (13–18 years) had higher Cooking Skills Confidence scores than those who learned cooking skills during adulthood (p = 0.007). Mother or being self-taught were the most influential sources for acquiring cooking skills. No significant relationship was found between the most influential source of learning cooking skills and adults’ diet quality (p = 0.272). Learning cooking skills in a public formal setting versus a household setting did not impact adult diet quality. Females were significantly more confident in their cooking skills and had significantly higher diet quality compared to male participants. Cooking confidence scores significantly increased with level of education and the age of the participant. ConclusionsThis research determined that the age of acquired cooking skills did not influence level of adult diet quality. Learning to cook at a younger age can help build stronger confidence by providing more opportunities to develop skills. Funding SourcesNo funds were needed to conduct this research study.

Effects of COVID-19 on University Student Food Security.

During COVID-19 restrictions in spring 2020, college students experienced closed dormitories and increased unemployment and many students moved in with their families. College students were vulnerable to food insecurity pre-pandemic and this study examined how the living situations and food security status changed for Midwestern university students due to COVID-19 restrictions. An email survey administered to Iowa State University students between the ages of 18 and 30 who physically attended campus prior to its closure produced 1434 responses. Students living with a parent or guardian increased by 44% and were less likely to experience food insecurity or less likely to work. They had lower stress and ate more home-cooked meals. Students living on their own had higher rates of food insecurity, greater stress, poorer health status, higher cooking self-efficacy, and worked more hours. Seventeen percent of all students were food insecure; related factors were non-White ethnicity, lower cooking self-efficacy, undergraduate status, receipt of financial aid, employment, stress, living in the same situation as before the campus closure, and consumption of more take-out or fast food. These individuals had more barriers to food access. Knowledge of these factors provide useful information to inform future support services for this population in similar conditions.

Hidden Hunger: Understanding the Complexity of Food Insecurity Among College Students

Objective The aim of this research was to explore the complexity of college student food insecurity through eating patterns, food assistance, and health of food-insecure university students.Methods A mixed-methods approach utilizing qualitative focus groups and individual interview data and survey quantitative data was used. All data collection took place on campus at a large Midwestern university in the Spring semester of 2018. Participants were Midwestern university students (n = 30), freshman to graduate level classified, with very low food security (USDA-Six Item Short Form).Results Seven percent (n = 2) were currently enrolled in food assistance programming (SNAP), and 30% (n = 9) reported family enrollment growing up (WIC and SNAP). Seven major themes emerged highlighting nutritional habits, food adaptations, health and well-being impacts, and additional campus programming addressing food assistance. Data triangulation informed a complexity diagram with the major categories of student characteristics of food insecurity, campus resource barriers, additional student needs, health and well-being impacts, and student adaptations and coping influencing the complexity surrounding student food insecurity.Conclusions College student food insecurity is multifaceted and complex. Common themes emerged among both individual-level factors and university structures, providing a deeper understanding of both the complexity and contributors to the college student experience. Further research and intervention are needed to explore this phenomenon and address student needs.

The interaction between student motivation and the instructional environment on academic outcome: a hierarchical linear model

In response to the recent call from educational psychology for comprehensive models of academic achievement (Linnenbrink-Garcia and Patall, in: Corno, Anderman (eds) Handbook of educational psychology, Taylor and Francis, New York, 2015. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203874790 ), this study used multiple theories of motivation and instructional environment to predict academic success. Midwestern university students and instructors responded to a survey consisting of motivation, learning approach, responsibility for learning, and academic success measures. Hierarchical linear modeling found that student personal factors accounted for 42% of the variance in mean academic outcome, and instructional environment accounted for 0.03% of the variability in student academic outcome between instructors. HLM coefficients indicated that instructors’ use of performance approach goal orientation suggested growth in student self-efficacy for SRL and increase in academic outcome. Practical applications of this research include instructors adopting mastery and performance approach goal orientation in the classroom, emphasizing the process and enjoyment of learning and de-emphasizing performance avoid goal orientation, which can increase student academic outcome.

The Value-Added Nature of Service-Learning

This research explores the benefits of service-learning among a group of Midwestern college students. Students enrolled in a section of a Juvenile Delinquency course served as volunteers at a juvenile detention facility and were studied using a pre-test/post-test survey design. This pilot project also included a comparison group of students in a section of the course which did not involve service-learning. The study compared service-learning to non-service-learning students in terms of attitudes regarding juvenile delinquency, punishment, and attributions of criminal behavior. We also examined any possible effects of service-learning on student academic skills, career goals, and comfort level with delinquents. Overall, we found that the service-learning project was a valuable educational tool having a positive impact on a number of student outcomes. We discuss the implications of these findings for service-learning research and practice.

Are Polydrug Users More Physically and Verbally Aggressive? An Assessment of Aggression Among Mono- Versus Polydrug Users in a University Sample.

Early research has revealed that patterns of aggression and antisocial behavior are present among polydrug users. Often missing from this discourse is the examination of whether polydrug users are quantitatively different from monodrug users in their use of aggression. Theoretical perspectives are often centered on the psychopharmacological effects of substance use on behavior. Consideration of possible poly- versus monodrug use differences and their impact on aggression has not been investigated. Data from this study were derived from a sample of Midwestern university students (N = 793). The relationship between violence, aggression, and concurrent polydrug use in the last year is assessed with a series of multivariate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models. Results demonstrate that higher incidents of physical and verbal aggression are reported among polydrug users compared to monodrug users and abstainers. When analyses were broken down by polydrug users (those who engaged in alcohol/marijuana and alcohol/NMUPD [nonmedical use of prescription drugs] stimulants), polydrug users reported higher levels of physical aggression compared to monodrug users. Similarly, monodrug users reported higher levels of physical aggression compared to nonusers. This research extends our understanding of aggression among users from two different subcategories: polydrug users in comparison to those who only engage in one form of substance use. Scholars and practitioners who work with violent offenders should consider patterns of drug use behavior when addressing substance use-related aggression.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Individual Components Among Midwestern University Students.

Michigan has the 17th highest adult obesity rate in the United States. Among college-aged adults between 18 and 25years old, the rate of obesity was 11.6%. Obesity is a key precedent for the development of metabolic syndrome. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its individual components among a sample of students at Central Michigan University. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 462 students, aged 18-25years, in Spring 2015 and Fall/Spring 2016 semesters. Students were recruited throughout the campus via flyers, in-class, and Blackboard announcements. Biochemical, anthropometric, and blood pressure measurements were taken for all students. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was estimated based on the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. Multivariable analysis was used to assess the prevalence of metabolic risk components. To explore the association between metabolic risk factors and lifestyle behaviors, students filled out a validated online questionnaire related to their eating habits, physical activity, and sleep patterns. Metabolic syndrome was not prevalent in our sample. However, about one-third of the students had at least one metabolic abnormality, and 6.0% had two metabolic abnormalities. The most common metabolic abnormalities were low HDL-cholesterol levels (22.0%) and high waist circumference (12.6%), and elevated serum triglyceride (5.8%). Adjusting for other factors, excess adiposity and high visceral fat scores were associated with increased risk of metabolic risk factors, whereas healthy lifestyle practices such as daily breakfast consumption, eating three meals a day, being active, and not smoking were associated with lower risks for MetS. Given the adverse consequences of undiagnosed metabolic abnormalities, efforts to identify and manage MetS among asymptomatic college students, particularly women, is essential and warrants further research.

Understanding patterns of evolution acceptance—A new implementation of the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) with Midwestern university students

AbstractWe validate the Measure of Acceptance of the Theory of Evolution (MATE) on undergraduate students using the Rasch model and utilize the MATE to explore qualitatively how students express their acceptance of evolution. At least 24 studies have used the MATE, most with the assumption that it is unidimensional. However, we found that the MATE is best used as two separate dimensions. When used in this way, the MATE produces reliable (α &gt; 0.85) measures for (i) acceptance of evolution facts and data and (ii) acceptance of the credibility of evolution and rejection of non‐scientific ideas. Using k‐means cluster analysis, we found students express their acceptance of evolution in five distinct profiles: (i) uniform high acceptance; (ii) uniform moderate acceptance; (iii) neutral acceptance; (iv) acceptance of facts, but rejection of credibility; and (v) rejection of both facts and credibility. Furthermore, we found that knowledge of macroevolution moderately explains students’ acceptance profiles, corroborating previous claims that teaching macroevolution may be one way to improve students’ acceptance. We use these findings to express the first set of operational definitions of evolution acceptance and propose that educators continue to explore additional ways to operationalize evolution acceptance. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 54:642–671, 2017

Improving alcohol screening for college students: Screening for alcohol misuse amongst college students with a simple modification to the CAGE questionnaire

ABSTRACTObjective: To improve the CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye opener) questionnaire's predictive accuracy in screening college students. Participants: The sample consisted of 219 midwestern university students who self-administered a confidential survey. Methods: Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, receiver operating characteristics (ROC), and Cronbach's alpha were used to analyze factor structure, validity, and reliability. Results: The modified CAGE correctly classified students with alcohol abuse (“AA students”; area under the curve [AUC] = 0.7765) and students with alcohol dependency (“AD students”; AUC = 0.8392) more often than CAGE (AA students: AUC = 0.6977; AD students: AUC = 0.7437), and these differences are statistically significant (AA students: χ2(1) = 14.72, p < .001; AD students: χ2(1) = 7.71, p < .01). Using 2-point cut scores, CAGE correctly identified 59.38% of AD students as AD, whereas the modified CAGE correctly identified 87% of AD students as AD. Using 1-point cut scores, CAGE correctly identified 65% AA students, whereas the modified CAGE identified 85.29%. Conclusions: The modified CAGE has better accuracy than CAGE in predicting AA and AD among college populations.

Financial Stress, Coping Strategy, and Academic Achievement of College Students

The impact of financial stress on college students can range from psychological distress to adverse academic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify how resources and perceptions alter the amount of financial stress felt by college students and how this relates to academic achievement. Results from 2,236 Midwestern college students indicate that financial and life stressors, higher subjective financial knowledge, fewer financial resources, negative perceptions, and lower mastery are associated with higher financial stress. Financial stress was not associated with academic achievement, but financial stressors, objective financial knowledge, and financial resources were highly related to financial stress. Increasing available financial resources to students, in addition to providing opportunities to increase financial knowledge for students, would likely be associated with decreased stress and better academic achievement.