scholarly journals Higher education among the “forgotten half”:  The association between substance use and college completion among 2-year college students versus matched 4-year college students from a nationally representative longitudinal study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet E. Rosenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
College Students ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Nearest Neighbor ◽  
Past Research ◽  
College Completion ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Exact Matching ◽  
The Past

Abstract Background: Recent policy changes have increased marijuana availability to college students. Past research has not evaluated the association between substance use and college completion among the forgotten half of disadvantaged young adults who access higher education through 2-year colleges. Methods: This study uses a subsample of college-enrolled participants from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health to evaluate whether substance use in 2001 among students attending 2-year college and 4-year college predicts educational attainment in 2008. We used Mahalanobis nearest-neighbor and exact matching within propensity score calipers to identify a comparison group of 4-year college students (n=888) similar to the 2-year college students (n=1398) on 15 baseline measures including grades, test scores, and substance use. We used multivariate regression in the matched sample using a Poisson working model to estimate the relative risk of earning no post-secondary degree.Results: Compared with matched 4-year college students, 2-year college students were more likely to use methamphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, and more likely to report problematic substance use, and less likely to use alcohol. Two-year college students who used methamphetamines in the past year (IRR=1.51, 95% CI (1.12, 2.04), p=0.007) or past month (IRR=1.69, 95% CI (1.09, 2.61), p=0.02), or completed alcohol abuse treatment (IRR=1.58, 95% CI (1.21, 2.07), p<0.001) were less likely to complete college. Four-year college students who reported that drugs interfered with school or work in the past year (IRR=1.84 (1.28, 2.64), p=0.001), used cocaine in the past year (IRR=1.47 (1.04, 2.08), p=0.03), and used marijuana in the past year (IRR=1.30 (1.07, 1.57), p=0.007), past month (IRR=1.31 (1.07, 1.61), p=0.01), or ≥5 times in the past month (IRR=1.44 (1.12, 1.85) p=0.005) were less likely to complete college. Conclusions: Substance use interventions should target 2-year and 4-year college students. Two-year colleges that better accommodate students who complete substance use treatment may improve these students’ completion. Students who use marijuana or cocaine or whose drug use impairs functioning may benefit from an incremental approach of completing a 2-year degree prior to transfer for a 4-year degree, rather than enrolling directly in a 4-year program.

scholarly journals Prevalence and demographic, substance use, and mental health correlates of fasting among U.S. college students

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle T. Ganson ◽  
Rachel F. Rodgers ◽  
Stuart B. Murray ◽  
Jason M. Nagata
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
The Past ◽  
Self Injury

Abstract Background Fasting is an unhealthy behavior that has been frequently used as part of weight loss attempts. To date, little research has been conducted to determine the prevalence and substance use and mental health correlates of fasting among college students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and associations between any (≥ 1 time) and regular (≥ 13 times) occurrences of fasting in the past 4 weeks and substance use and mental health correlates among a large sample of college students from 2016 to 2020. Methods Data from four academic survey years (2016–2020; N = 8255) of the national (USA) Healthy Minds Study were analyzed. Unadjusted prevalence of any and regular fasting by survey year and gender was estimated. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the associations between any and regular fasting and the demographic (age, body mass index, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, highest parental education), substance use (cigarette use, marijuana use, other illicit drug use, alcohol use), and mental health (depression, anxiety, eating disorder symptoms, suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury) correlates. Results Any fasting in the past 4 weeks was common among both men (14.77%) and women (18.12%) and significantly increased from 2016 (10.30%) to 2020 (19.81%) only among men. Regular fasting significantly increased among both men and women from 2016 (men: 1.46%; women: 1.79%) to 2020 (men: 3.53%; women: 6.19%). Among men and women, both any and regular fasting in the past 4 weeks were associated with higher odds of all mental health symptoms, including a positive depression, anxiety, and eating disorder screen, suicidal ideation, and non-suicidal self-injury. Among women, but not men, any and regular fasting in the past 4 weeks were associated with higher odds of marijuana use and other illicit drug use (e.g., cocaine, ecstasy). Conclusions The results from this study underscore both the high and increasing prevalence of fasting among a national sample of college students, as well as the substance use and mental health symptoms associated with this behavior. Healthcare professionals both on and off campus should consider screening for fasting behaviors among college students and provide appropriate intervention when needed.

Exploring Alcohol Use Motivations in Underage College Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 387-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany Rhoades Cooper ◽  
Elizabeth H. Weybright ◽  
Matthew F. Bumpus ◽  
Laura G. Hill ◽  
Jon Agley
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Latent Class Analysis ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Underage Drinking ◽  
Analytic Approach ◽  
Class Analysis ◽  
The Past ◽  
Drinking Motivation

The goal of this article is to illustrate how a person-centered analytic approach can inform our understanding of alcohol use motivations in underage college students and to build off of a related analysis with legal-aged students. Data come from 2,346 students who were under 21 years old and reported using alcohol in the past year in the 2013 Indiana College Substance Use Survey. Latent class analysis identified four underage drinking motivation subgroups and examined associations between subgroup membership and alcohol-related behavior and consequences. The groups varied in their combination of alcohol motivations and their alcohol-related behaviors and consequences. Results for the present study confirm the variability in motivations for alcohol use and provide valuable information about the characteristics of those groups at highest risk, which can inform content and intensity of prevention efforts targeted at underage college students.

Towards Socially Responsible Higher Education

2020 ◽  
pp. 29-49
Author(s):  
Calley Stevens Taylor ◽  
Mary-Alice Ozechoski
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
College Students ◽  
Basic Needs ◽  
College Completion ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Education Professionals ◽  
College Completion Rates ◽  
Higher Education Professionals ◽  
Aid Programs ◽  
The Impact

This chapter proposes that higher education has a responsibility to reduce disparities in college completion rates and argues that emergency aid programs should serve as an important component of this work. It offers an overview of recent research on the impact of basic needs gaps, with special attention to issues relating to food and housing insecurity. Organizations, colleges, and universities working to close resource gaps are then described. These examples demonstrate the wide range of programs and services being put in place to address these needs among college students, which, without intervention, can significantly hinder college completion. Finally, the authors offer a series of recommendations and resources for higher education professionals and partners interested in implementing or expanding emergency aid and other basic needs programs for college students.

The Influence of Spirituality on Substance Use of College Students

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Stewart
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
The United States ◽  
Upper Class ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Past ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Objectives: The issue of substance use and the problems resulting from that use has become a major concern in the United States. The past decade has seen several new trends in substance use by college students and an increase in the effort to try and determine factors that may ameliorate the problem. Spirituality is one possible factor that may have some role in the phenomenon. Some research has been conducted on the relationship of spirituality to substance use but the results are mostly descriptive and concerned with religiosity rather than spirituality. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between a student's spiritual and religious beliefs and the impact of those beliefs on the decision to use substances. Method: A sample of 337 university students was surveyed using the CORE Alcohol and Drug Survey and several supplemental questions. Results: In general, spirituality had a moderate buffering effect upon the decision to use alcohol and marijuana. This general protective effect exists for both alcohol use and binge drinking but dissipated as the students reached upper-class levels. Conclusion: Spirituality may play a significant role in the decision of college students to use substances. Further research should focus on this important factor. Also, implementation of spiritual aspects into university prevention and treatment programs may help boost efficacy rates.

‘Higher education’ – substance use among Berlin college students

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 2526-2537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard Viohl ◽  
Felicitas Ernst ◽  
Julian Gabrysch ◽  
Moritz B. Petzold ◽  
Stephan Köhler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
College Students ◽  
Substance Use

scholarly journals Role transitions and substance use among Hispanic emerging adults: A longitudinal study using coarsened exact matching

2016 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 95-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon-Patrick Allem ◽  
Steve Sussman ◽  
Daniel W. Soto ◽  
Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati ◽  
Jennifer B. Unger
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Exact Matching ◽  
Role Transitions ◽  
Coarsened Exact Matching

scholarly journals The Kids Are Alright—Right? Physical Activity and Mental Health in College Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Petruzzello ◽  
Allyson G. Box
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
College Students ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Student Mental Health ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of

The status of physical activity in higher education has changed dramatically over the past 100 years. In this paper, we aim to (a) provide a brief history of physical activity on campus; (b) describe how that activity has changed from a requirement to an elective; (c) illustrate how mental health (particularly stress, anxiety, and depression) has changed in college students over the past few decades; and (d) describe the relationships between physical activity and mental health, particularly in college students. The paper culminates with recommendations for how colleges and universities might facilitate better student mental health through physical activity. There is room to improve the physical activity and mental health of college students, realigning higher education with the promotion of mens sana in corpore sano.

scholarly journals Non-linear Paths in Transitions through the Labour Market

2018 ◽  
pp. 129-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Federighi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
University Students ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Educational Science ◽  
Transition To Work ◽  
The Past ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Education Investment ◽  
Non Linear

Entering a study course and the subsequent transition to the labour market is no longer the rule. In the past, routes were linear, today transitions are non-linear. The research undertook to contribute to studying the factors that promote university students’ transition to work. Some of the research activities have been devoted to a longitudinal study where the ways Educational Science graduates manage their own professionalization strategies have been investigated. It is a cluster for which in several countries the lowest return has been estimated in relation to higher education investment. If we manage to clarify the terms of non-linear transitions paths we can succeed in understanding the types of measures to be introduced, how to relate them to processes that will professionalize students, when to activate them, and how to evaluate their impact

The Impact of Social Media on Policy Decisions in International Higher Education

2017 ◽  
pp. 173-199
Author(s):  
Pamela A. Lemoine ◽  
P. Thomas Hackett ◽  
Michael D. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
College Students ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
International Higher Education ◽  
Learning Design ◽  
Technological Revolution ◽  
Modern Education ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Impact

The infusion of technology is one of the major ironies of modern education because technology has changed delivery techniques for higher education. The technological revolution of the past two decades has changed communication in contemporary educational settings, particularly higher education. Educators are teaching how to live successfully in a future that is increasingly ambiguous and fast-paced. That is a formidable task in the quickly changing world of technology where educators must prepare students to be able to find the information they need and the knowledge of how to analyze appropriately, not just to regurgitate facts. Technology offers college students an array of options to socialize, network, stay informed and connected, but they come with risks and consequences. As social media use by students becomes more established, educators in higher education are pursuing methods to continue significant and appropriate contact with their audience and are shifting from the acquisition of skills so prevalent in today's colleges to a true learning design focused on technology.

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