Effect of different stretching methods on static and dynamic balance and physical fitness in male university students

Background In Australia, 15- to 29-year-olds account for 75% of all sexually transmissible infection (STI) diagnoses. STI rates among young men are rising, with most diagnosed in general practice. Young men less frequently attend general practice than young women, and rarely present with sexual health issues, making it difficult for general practitioners (GPs) to offer opportunistic STI education and screening. Little is known of the barriers preventing male university students accessing general practice for sexual health care, or what would facilitate this. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with young men aged 18–24 years attending university between 2012 and 2014. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using content and thematic analysis. Results: Twenty-eight interviews of 26–50 min duration found self-imposed views of masculinity, privacy and embarrassment as key barriers to accessing GPs for sexual health care. This was compounded by poor STI knowledge and not knowing when or where to go for care. Participants, except if they were international students, acknowledged school as an important source of sexual health education. The need for sexual health education at university was identified. While the Internet was a popular source, there were mixed views on the benefits of social media and text messaging for sexual health promotion. Conclusions: Current expectations of young male university students to seek sexual health care or acquire sexual health information from medical care may be misplaced. Universities have an excellent opportunity to provide young men with appropriate sexual health information and could offer novel strategies to help young men look after their sexual health.

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Use of alcohol and other drugs among male university students and its meanings

Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP ◽

10.1590/s0080-623420160000600011 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 50 (5) ◽

pp. 785-791 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Eliza Maria Rezende Dázio ◽

Márcia Maria Fontão Zago ◽

Silvana Maria Coelho Leite Fava

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Public University ◽

Qualitative Approach ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Sociocultural Environment ◽

The Everyday ◽

University Life ◽

Alcohol And Other Drugs ◽

Male University Students ◽

Inductive Analysis

Abstract OBJECTIVE To understand the meanings that male university students assign to the condition of users of alcohol and other drugs. METHOD An exploratory study using a qualitative approach, with inductive analysis of the content of semi-structured interviews applied to 20 male university students from a public university in the southeast region of Brazil, grounded on the theoretical-methodological referential of interpretive anthropology and ethnographic method. RESULTS Data were construed using content inductive analysis for two topics: use of alcohol and/or drugs as an outlet; and use of alcohol and/or other drugs: an alternative for belonging and identity. CONCLUSION Male university students share the rules of their sociocultural environment that values the use of alcohol and/or other drugs as a way of dealing with the demands and stress ensuing from the everyday university life, and to build identity and belong to this social context, reinforcing the influence of culture.

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