Assessing key aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) among undergraduate radiography students at an Irish university.

Medical students face elevated health risks due to academic stress and a sedentary lifestyle. Given the geographical and ethnic diversity of Southwest China, it is particularly important to understand the factors associated with physical fitness and bone health in this population. However, evidence regarding the physical fitness and bone health of medical students in this region remains limited. This cross-sectional study included 334 medical students (99 males and 235 females; aged 17-24 years) from Southwest China, comprising both Han and ethnic minority students. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, a composite physical fitness index (PFI) was derived from six standardized fitness tests, and calcaneal bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed using quantitative ultrasound. Gender-stratified analyses, partial correlations adjusted for age and BMI, and multiple regression models were performed. Male students showed higher prevalences of overweight/obesity (18.18% vs. 5.96%) and osteopenia (6.06% vs. 2.98%) than females. A nonlinear association was observed between BMI and physical fitness, with normal-weight students demonstrating the highest PFI. No significant differences were observed between Han and ethnic minority students in physical fitness or bone health indicators. Muscle strength emerged as the strongest predictor of BMD, with bent-leg sit-ups predicting BMD in females (B = 0.290, p = 0.020) and pull-ups predicting BMD in males (B = 0.543, p = 0.014). Physical fitness and bone health differed according to sex and BMI status among medical students in Southwest China. Muscle strength was identified as the most important modifiable factor associated with BMD. These findings support the development of sex-specific and culturally appropriate health promotion strategies to improve musculoskeletal health among ethnically diverse university populations.

This study psychometrically evaluated the Protective Behavioral Strategies Scale-20 (PBSS-20) in a nationally recruited sample of sexual and non-sexual minority students. Participants included 1,730 college students (Mage = 19.41) from 12 universities, who were predominantly White non-Hispanic (63.6%), female (70%), and heterosexual (67.6%). Participants reported demographics and completed measures of hazardous alcohol use, alcohol-related negative consequences, and alcohol protective behavioral strategy use. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) and bifactor ESEM revealed an adequate model fit of the PBSS-20, supporting the hypothesized factor structure. Invariance testing revealed a similar factor structure for both sexual and non-sexual minority students. The PBSS-20 total and subscale scores were negatively associated with all alcohol outcome measures for all groups. This study provides additional support for the generalizability and utility of the PBSS-20, with suggestions for further refinement of the measure. This study has implications for measuring safe drinking behaviors among sexual and non-sexual minority college students.

ABSTRACT This study examines the academic performance of students with disabilities by extending the ecological systems theory through integration with organizational capacity and social vulnerability theories. It uses cross-sectional data from Florida public schools and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to analyze the impact of nested systems (micro, exo, and macro) on the academic performance of students with disabilities. Results show that schools with stronger microsystems—characterized by greater human capital, stronger exosystems—characterized by greater financial capacity are positively associated with the academic performance of students with disabilities. Conversely, higher concentrations of low-income and minority students in the macrosystem are negatively associated with academic performance. These findings highlight the interplay between school microsystem capabilities, exosystem supports, and macrosystem inequities in shaping educational outcomes. The study emphasizes the importance of public policies that strengthen teacher capacity, increase discretionary funding, and address structural disadvantages to promote equity and improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

ABSTRACT We study the effects of precedence order (i.e. the order in which different types of seats are filled) on college admission under the Texas Top 10% Law, which requires automatic admission for any student who graduated in the top 10% from a Texas high school. Policymakers currently fill reserved seats for top 10% students first, then fill unreserved seats. Using publicly available data, we show that the reserve policy with the current precedence order is equivalent to admission without reserves. We show that switching the precedence order to fill unreserved seats first increases the admission rates for top 10% students and for Black and Hispanic students. By filling unreserved seats before reserved seats, policymakers could increase the representation of racial/ethnic minorities at highly selective colleges.

ABSTRACT Heritage language use (HLU) has received increasing attention in bilingualism research. Prior studies on achievement gaps between language minority (LMi) students and English-speaking peers have largely focused on HLU at home, which may provide only a partial picture of HLU. Guided by an ecological systems perspective, this study examined how LMi status and HLU with different audiences (e.g. mother, father, schoolmates, best friend) were associated with reading and mathematics achievement in the U.S. PISA 2018 dataset. Using design-based regression models, we compared unadjusted with covariate-adjusted gaps after accounting for socioeconomic status, teacher learning support, parental emotional support, gender and immigration background. Unadjusted models indicated lower reading and mathematics performance for LMi students, but these differences attenuated and became nonsignificant after covariate adjustment. Additionally, among LMi students, HLU was audience-specific: greater HLU with parents was positively associated with academic achievement, whereas greater HLU with peers was negatively associated. These findings are consistent with a possible opportunity gap interpretation and highlight the importance of measuring HLU across home and peer contexts. Overall, this study challenges deficit-oriented interpretations of LMi students’ HLU and demonstrates the value of context-specific HLU measurement for future research.

ABSTRACT Gender and sexual minority students experience higher levels of victimization in schools, making teacher intervention important. We examined how school climate, educator experiences (prior training, personal experience with harassment), and educator attitudes (homophobia, transgender knowledge) were associated with intention to intervene in cissexist and heterosexist victimization using two samples: pre-service teachers (n = 416) and in-service teachers (n = 931). For in-service teachers, higher transgender knowledge, lower homophobia, and personal harassment experience were associated with greater intervention intentions. Prior training was associated with greater transgender knowledge and greater intervention intentions. For the pre-service teachers, lower homophobia was associated with greater intervention intentions. In both samples, more school climate barriers were associated with greater transgender knowledge and lower homophobia. Results highlight the importance of ensuring teachers receive initial and continued education on diverse gender and sexual identities.

Science co-curricular experiences (SciXP)-such as research experiences and internships-are a common, yet understudied, strategy to enhance undergraduates' science career pursuit. Using a doubly robust method to account for initial differences in science motivation, academic readiness, and career intentions, we investigated whether SciXP participation across four years of college predicted undergraduates' (N = 1984) science achievement, career persistence, and motivation at the end of college and after graduation. Participation in science co-curricular experiences was positively associated with science GPA, earning a science degree, being in a more science-intensive career one totwo years post-graduation, and viewing science as important and useful at the end of college. Follow-up analyses suggested these relations were generally stronger when SciXPs occurred earlier in college and across multiple years. SciXPs were especially associated with higher science achievement, degree attainment, and motivation of underrepresented racial/ethnic minority students and the science motivation of women, but not for first-generation students, particularly when SciXP participation occurred early in college. These findings suggest undergraduate science co-curricular experiences are an effective means for increasing the scientific workforce and that these benefits may be especially promising for women and for students with racial/ethnic identities that are underrepresented in STEM fields.

Racial minorities remain underrepresented among allied health providers. Pathway programs address this gap by fostering career exposure and mentorship for underrepresented students. A pilot program was designed to increase underrepresented minority (URM) students entering health professions through career exploration and mentorship. High school students were enrolled into a pre-post survey study through a healthcare magnet school having higher proportions of economically disadvantaged students. Career exploration included healthcare presentations and skills sessions. Students were matched with mentors based on career interests. 22 students participated. The program facilitated career exploration sessions, mentor-mentee meetings, and workshops with diverse healthcare professionals. Participants reported increased likelihood towards pursuing healthcare careers. Preliminary findings suggest similar pilot pathway programs may increase URM student interest in healthcare careers.

Examining the psychometric properties of the Body Talk Scale (BTS) among Chinese sexual minority students: Evidence from adolescents and young adults.

Developmental changes in daily ethnic-racial discrimination and its influence on mental health among ethnic-racial minority young adults remain understudied. Using two waves (30 days at each wave) of daily diary data from 165 Asian university students in Canada (67% women; Mage = 18.11 years, SD = 0.94 at Wave 1), this study investigated changes in the daily associations between ethnic-racial discrimination and internalizing problems, as well as the moderating role of daily peer support (cultural socialization, preparation for bias, and general social support), during the first and third years of university. Multilevel structural equation modeling showed that, at the within-person level, daily ethnic-racial discrimination was significantly associated with increased internalizing problems on the same day at Wave 1 (B = 1.35, 95% CI [0.99, 1.71]) but not at Wave 2 (B = 0.57, 95% CI [-0.05, 1.19]). Daily peer cultural socialization (B = -0.84, 95% CI [-1.65, -0.03]) and preparation for bias (B = -1.21, 95% CI [-2.09, -0.27]) buffered the association between discrimination and internalizing problems at Wave 1; however, these patterns were not observed at Wave 2. These findings underscore the first year of university as a vulnerable period when daily exposure to ethnic-racial discrimination can compromise mental health among ethnic-racial minority students. Peer cultural socialization and preparation for bias can serve as effective buffers during this time. Higher education institutions should prioritize interventions that foster culturally sensitive peer support systems that help create an inclusive and affirming environment for first-year ethnic-racial minority students.

Research has established that sexual assault is a persistent social problem among college students. Throughout the last decade, research has found that sexual minority college students disproportionately experience sexual assault in the college context, compared to heterosexual students. While potential mental and physical health consequences of sexual assault are well-documented in the literature, less is known about the academic outcomes. Further, few studies have accounted for other variables to better understand the nuances of this relationship. This cross-sectional study investigates how sexual assault victimization and other factors (i.e., campus climate, institutional response, and social support) are associated with academic outcomes. Participants were recruited via paid Facebook and Instagram social media advertisements. The sample included 241 sexual minority college students in the United States. Linear regression analysis was used to assess how different factors were associated with academic outcomes among this sample. Results from this study indicate that when accounting for other factors, the higher level of social support, a stronger sense of inclusion, and the more trust they felt in their campus's ability to respond to a report of sexual assault in a fair and just way all uniquely predicted a stronger commitment to continue their education at their current college or university. Students who experienced sexual assault in college and lower levels of social support uniquely predicted lower levels of focus on their current academics. These findings have real-world implications for campus administrators, policy makers, and advocates. Campus investment in inclusive practices and programming, as well as support for sexual minority students, may significantly benefit academic outcomes for this population. Also, building trust in campus responses to sexual assault may positively influence the academic path of students. And finally, the well-being of survivors may be further supported through accessible academic supports and accommodations from staff who work in this area.

ABSTRACT Background Bullying in multicultural school environments is typically conceptualised as majority students targeting minorities. However, this overlooks the nuanced dynamics within minority groups themselves, where cultural identity, acculturation strategies, and intra-group hierarchies can shape peer interactions. Existing anti-bullying frameworks often fail to capture these complexities, limiting the effectiveness of interventions. Purpose This study aimed to explore the phenomenon of bullying among minority students, with a specific focus on intra-minority dynamics. It investigated how inclusive educational practices mediated bullying behaviours and examined the roles of identity negotiation, microaggressions, and teacher-student perceptions in shaping bullying experiences. Method A qualitative, multiple-case study design was employed, involving semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom observations with 24 students and eight secondary school teachers from culturally diverse Norwegian schools. Thematic analysis identified patterns across the data. Comparative insights were drawn by examining variations in school practices and cultural responsiveness. Findings Bullying among minority students often stemmed from intra-group tensions related to cultural authenticity, language, and divergent acculturation strategies. While overt bullying by majority students was infrequent, minority students reported persistent experiences of microaggressions and social exclusion, both from peers and within their own ethnic communities. Teachers frequently underestimated these behaviours due to linguistic and cultural barriers. Inclusive practices such as cooperative learning, culturally responsive teaching, and student-led initiatives mitigated bullying when consistently applied. However, there was variation in institutional commitment and implementation. Symbolic multicultural events were insufficient to address the roots of exclusion. Conclusion Bullying in multicultural schools is an issue that cannot be adequately addressed through majority-minority frameworks. Intra-minority bullying presents unique challenges that demand culturally informed, whole-school interventions. Teacher training, student empowerment, and structured intergroup contact are essential for fostering inclusive school climates.

ABSTRACT AI adoption in education has attracted growing scholarly attention over the past decade. However, the specific mechanisms underlying AI adoption in multilingual educational contexts remain underexplored. To address this issue, this study drew on semi-structured interviews with Chinese ethnic minority students learning English as a third language (L3) to examine their adoption of AI-assisted English learning through an integrated UTAUT–SDT lens. Thematic analysis showed that, for minority L3 learners, facilitating conditions were not perceived as direct enablers of AI adoption, given the prior insufficient digital learning resource constrained their autonomous decision making in learning. Social influence manifests itself through co-ethnic peer affiliation and supportive teacher recognition, reinforcing learners’ sense of relatedness. Tibetan L3 learners perceived competence restoration, indicating performance expectancy, as AI makes English learning more accessible, manageable and academically supportive. At the same time, driven by necessity to adopt AI, L3 learners have been exposed to an increased level of vulnerability, including concerns about over-reliance, weakened critical awareness and risks to their multilingual cognitive development. These findings frame AI adoption in multilingual contexts as a complex socio-motivational process and offer implications for supporting minority students’ AI-assisted English learning.

ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of affirmative action bans on underrepresented minority (URM) students in U.S. higher education. Using state-level variation and a difference-in-differences approach, it estimates the impacts on enrollment, degree completion, and STEM participation. The results show that these bans reduced Black enrollment and bachelor’s degree attainment at four-year institutions, with the largest declines occurring at highly selective institutions. Black representation in STEM fields decreased at highly selective institutions but increased at moderately selective ones. These findings are consistent with the mismatch hypothesis and suggest that institutional selectivity plays an important role in shaping access, persistence, and academic trajectories.

Racism negatively impacts health, and it has both structural and interpersonal manifestations in medicine. In Finnish medical education, diversity, equity, and inclusion work is still in its infancy. This is the first study examining Finnish medical students' perspectives on racism and anti-racism during their studies. An online survey was distributed to medical students across Finland. The responses (N = 150) were analyzed using mixed methods, with descriptive statistics applied to quantitative data and inductive content analysis applied to qualitative data. Only 25% of participants recalled receiving formal education on racism during their medical studies. Most respondents lacked knowledge of where to access reference materials showing symptoms on skin of colour, whereas they were confident locating the same materials for light skin. Limited curriculum content was considered the most significant barrier to learning about anti-racism in medicine. 39% observed racism in educational settings, but only 26% of these bystanders intervened. Intervention is made more difficult when the perpetrator is a senior clinician. 40% of racialized minority students had been the target of racism at medical school. Overall, students wished for additional supports and learning opportunities as part of their mandatory studies. There is a need for curriculum reforms promoting anti-racism education, bystander intervention training, safe reporting pathways, and engagement with diagnostic resources depicting symptoms on skin of colour. The study has implications for Finnish medical education and for research on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in healthcare more broadly.

Objective Disparities in mental health care among racial/ethnic minority college students persist. Severity of mental health symptoms may explain these disparities. Participants N = 43,633 (weighted) college students from the Healthy Minds Study (2022–2023) with mental health symptoms. Methods Mixed effects multinomial regression models investigated effects of race/ethnicity and severe mental health symptoms on mental health help-seeking and treatment utilization. Results Students with severe symptoms were more likely to seek formal treatment modalities (aRRR range: 2.36–3.37; 95% CI range: 1.82–4.37) across all racial/ethnic groups. The impact of severe symptoms on seeking both counseling and medication was larger in racial/ethnic minority students (e.g., non-Hispanic Black with severe symptoms (aRRR: 3.37, 95% CI: 2.60–4.37)) than in non-Hispanic White students with severe symptoms (aRRR: 2.36, 95% CI: 2.19–2.56). Conclusion Colleges should prioritize pathways to care for racial/ethnic minority students with severe symptoms to ensure timely care.

ABSTRACT The TPSR model, developed by Don Hellison, has been widely adopted in PE and YDP to foster life skills such as respect, effort, and self-direction among students, particularly those from marginalised communities. However, through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT), this article examines how TPSR’s predominant research focus on racialized minority students – especially Black students – racializes responsibility, positioning racialized minority youth as inherently ‘irresponsible.’ This ‘othering’ process reinforces the deficit-oriented narratives that attribute behavioural and social shortcomings to racialized identities rather than systemic inequities. Drawing on CRT tenets such as the permanence of racism and the critique of liberalism, the analysis reveals how TPSR, despite its emancipatory intentions, perpetuates racial hierarchies by framing Black students as needing intervention to achieve ‘normal’ responsibility (e.g. Boyd, K., Dixon, C., Simon, M., & Bennett, G. (2025). “In the line of fire”: Critical race counternarratives from Black and Latine physical education and teacher education faculty. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2025-0049). This scholarly exploration integrates historical context, empirical research trends, and theoretical critiques, drawing on existing PE literature addressing race and racism (e.g. Abel et al., 2024). Students’ perspectives on racism and anti-racism in physical education: a systematic review. Frontiers in Sociology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1374277; Blackshear, T. B., & Culp, B. (2023). Critical race studies in physical education. Human Kinetics; Harrison, L., & Clark, L. (2016). Contemporary issues of social justice: A focus on race and physical education in the United States. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 87(3), 230–241. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2016.1199166) to advocate for anti-racist adaptations of TPSR. Implications for educators include shifting from deficit models to asset-based pedagogies that centre racial justice.

Racialised minorities continue to experience systemic disadvantages, much of which stem from the enduring legacy of colonisation. Efforts to decolonise Eurocentric systems have largely fallen short as social inequalities and injustice persist. This scoping review explored Black racialised minority perspectives on decolonising psychology, identifying systemic barriers, and proposing strategies for more equitable academic environments. A scoping review was conducted including 18 articles. The sources examine racialised minority experiences within psychological disciplines. To preserve the nuance and complexity of the data, this review employed a reflexive thematic analysis approach. The review found systematic issues such as exclusion, underrepresentation, stereotyping, and deprivation. These issues resulted in Black racialised minority students adjusting their personhood to belong, creating a ‘stifled self’. Four themes were identified: (1) Curriculum as a Site of Power; (2) Barriers to Decolonial Practice in Psychology; (3) Recognising Racism as Shaping Racialised Experiences of Failure and Belonging; and (4) Proposed Decolonial Strategies. The study suggests that decolonisation efforts in the field have gained momentum but remain largely superficial and resistant to deeper change. For decolonisation to be effective, institutions must enact structural changes, embrace diversity, and create inclusive frameworks that centre racialised minorities as key contributors.

IntroductionSexual minority individuals continue to face prejudice and discrimination within medical care and academic settings. This contributes to elevated stress levels, which increases their vulnerability to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Studies examining the mental health, financial situation, loneliness, and help-seeking behavior of students who have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation remain scarce. Therefore, this study aims to address this research gap by assessing mental health outcomes, loneliness, impairment status, income, and help-seeking behavior in a large cohort of university students in eastern Germany, comparing these variables between participants who experienced discrimination due to sexual orientation and those who did not.MethodsAn online survey was conducted to assess university students' mental health, as well as to identify relevant risk and protective factors. The questionnaire included questions on various forms of discrimination experienced by participants, including discrimination based on sexual orientation. The final sample comprised 2,625 students, of which 2,569 answered the questionnaire for discrimination experiences and were included in this study. Sociodemographic variables, income, mental health outcomes (assessed via PHQ-9, GAD7, EDE-Q8, and AUDIT-C), help-seeking behavior, impairment status, and loneliness (measured with UCLA-3) were used to examine group differences between participants reporting experiences of discrimination based on sexual orientation and those without discrimination based on sexual orientation.ResultsResults indicated that participants reporting discrimination based on sexual orientation had a significantly higher prevalence of diagnosed mental illness, impairment affecting study, and suicidal thoughts, as well as a higher mean PHQ-9 and GAD-7 score compared to the students without experiences of discrimination based on sexual orientation. Students facing discrimination based on sexual orientation reported more frequent impairments affecting their studies. No significant differences between the groups were observed in hazardous alcohol use (AUDIT-C), eating disorder symptoms (EDE-Q8), loneliness (UCLA-3) and monthly income.DiscussionThe findings highlight the association between discrimination based on sexual orientation and poorer mental health among sexual minority university students. Moreover, the results emphasize the need for targeted mental health services and more inclusive support structures for sexual minority students at university.