Further Contextualizing Racial Identity: Multiracial Students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Despite the recent growth of literature on multiracial college students, there is still limited understanding about multiracial students at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). This qualitative study explores the interplay of racialized identity and the unique contexts of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) using data from eight multiracial students attending two HSIs in the Midwest. Findings explore how students made sense of their multiracial identities within specific ecological contexts of HSIs, including a mesosystem of diversity and inclusion and an exosystem of Latinidad. Overall, multiracial students generally felt included and provide a promising platform to better understand the unique positioning of HSIs in serving an increasingly diverse student body.

Evaluation of a city-wide school-located influenza vaccination program in Oakland, California with respect to race and ethnicity: a matched cohort study

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of city-wide school-located influenza vaccination by race/ethnicity from 2014-2018. Methods: We used multivariate matching to pair schools in the intervention district in Oakland, CA with schools in West Contra Costa County, CA, a comparison district. We estimated difference-in-differences (DIDs) in caregiver-reported influenza vaccination coverage and laboratory-confirmed influenza hospitalization incidence. Results: Differences in influenza vaccination coverage in the intervention vs. comparison site were larger among White and Latino students than Asian/Pacific Islander (API), Black, and multiracial students. Concerns about vaccine effectiveness or safety were more common among Black and multiracial caregivers; logistical barriers to vaccination were more common among White, API, and Latinos. In both sites, hospitalization in 2017-18 was higher in Blacks vs. other races/ethnicities. All-age influenza hospitalization incidence was lower in the intervention site vs. comparison site among White/API individuals in 2016-17 and 2017-18 and Black older adults in 2017-18, but not in other groups. Conclusions: SLIV was associated with higher vaccination coverage and lower influenza hospitalization, but associations varied by race/ethnicity. SLIV alone may be insufficient to ensure equitable health outcomes for influenza.

Alcohol Use and Related Consequences for Monoracial and Multiracial Native American/American Indian College students

Native American/American Indian (NA/AI) and Multiracial (those who claim more than one racial group) people report notably high alcohol use compared to other racial groups in the United States. However, NA/AI and Multiracial college students also report differences in their motivations for drinking alcohol. Therefore, it remains unclear if Multiracial NA/AI individuals are at different risk for alcohol use and negative alcohol-related consequences, and if there are distinct patterns of risk factors for alcohol consumption in these understudied populations. Given that college-aged students are at particularly high risk for alcohol use, we used the AlcoholEdu for CollegeTM survey in an exploratory study to compare the association between initial drinking age, college location (urban versus rural), and alcohol use motivations and consequences between monoracial NA/AI (N = 2,359) and Multiracial NA/AI college-aged students (N = 6,263). Overall, monoracial NA/AI students reported higher incidences of alcohol use and alcohol-related problems such as blacking out and missing class, compared to Multiracial NA/AI students. Risk factors, including earlier drinking age, impacted monoracial NA/AI students more than Multiracial NA/AI students, leading to higher rates of missing class and impaired driving. Despite similar levels of Internal Coping motivations for drinking (e.g., to feel more confident or sure of yourself), monoracial NA/AI students reported drinking more than Multiracial students and experiencing higher rates negative drinking-related outcomes. These results suggest that Multiracial NA/AI students may draw on protective factors not accessible to monoracial NA/AI students, highlighting the need for tailored interventions for students at highest risk.

Dismantling Invisibility in Multiracial College Students

This study was designed to test Tinto's theory of college student integration by measuring the social and academic integration of multiracial students. Policymakers and public interest have increased pressure on higher education institutions to address low degree completion rates among historically underrepresented racial minority students, leading to a targeted shift to assess and address factors that facilitate or hinder minority college student persistence. The participants for the current study consisted of a convenience sample of college students (n=173) classified as seniors at a mid-sized public four-year institution in Texas. The researcher collected pertinent demographic data and used the Institutional Integration Scale-Revised (IIS-R) to measure social and academic integration. The results of the analyses suggested a statistically significant correlation between being multiracial and social integration, but no significant correlation between being multiracial and academic integration.

Sexual Harassment Among Medical Students: Prevalence, Prediction, and Correlated Outcomes

Background: Few studies are dedicated to understanding the extent and impact of sexual harassment among medical students. The aim of this study was to use behaviorally specific measures to examine prevalence of sexual harassment toward medical students. Associated mental health and academic impacts were also studied. Methods: A multisite survey was conducted at four medical schools. Sexual harassment was measured using the Sexual Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ), a valid and reliable instrument. Students were also surveyed about depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and their level of academic engagement. We also assessed their perceptions of institutional response and whether they felt safe at their institution. Findings: The final sample included 524 medical students (response rate = 13%). Findings revealed that 36.6% reported sexual harassment by a faculty/staff member and 38.5% reported harassment by a fellow student. The odds of harassment by faculty/staff, as well as peers, were significantly higher for women with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 9.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [3.74, 25.80] and multiracial students with an AOR: 2.93, 95% CI: [1.16, 7.39]. Those who experienced sexual harassment were more likely to report academic disengagement and symptoms of depression and PTSD. Conclusion/Application to Practice: Sexual harassment in medical schools can potentially limit a student’s academic success and negatively impact their mental health. Supportive services and efforts to address peer and professional cultures that promote harassment are needed. Experiences of harassment require swift and competent responses by medical school leadership in collaboration with occupational and/or student health services to mitigate detrimental impacts and support medical students throughout their training.

Measuring Segregation in a Multiracial Era: The Impact of Federal Racial Reporting Changes on Estimates of Public School Segregation

Background Despite accounting for 3% of the student population, multiracial students are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States. Aligning with new federal guidelines, in 2008, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) revised its single-race reporting scheme for the Common Core of Data (CCD), permitting students to identify as two or more races (i.e., multiracial). Study Objective The addition of a multiracial reporting category to the NCES CCD permits students to more accurately represent their racial identity. By creating categories that are not strictly comparable to their historical counterparts, however, it may problematize longitudinal analysis of trends in the racial composition and segregation of schools, which are of perennial scholarly and public interest. In this study, we examine the extent to which the reporting change affects estimates of segregation over time. Research Design We compute annual values of racial/ethnic segregation (i.e., isolation and dissimilarity) among elementary schools for 5,357 public school districts using data from the NCES CCD Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey from 2000–01 to 2013–14. Before 2008, we compute segregation for the five monoracial groups tracked by the CCD. After 2008, we compute segregation using the two analytical approaches to the treatment of multiracial students that have been employed by scholars of segregation. We estimate the effect of the racial/ethnic reporting change on estimates of segregation via a series of multilevel longitudinal fixed-effects models. Results We found that the NCES CCD's addition of a multiracial reporting category has problematized longitudinal analyses of segregation, particularly racial/ethnic isolation. Models revealed abrupt changes in most dimensions of segregation in the year immediately following the reporting change. Moreover, the reporting change has complicated interpretation of segregation trends since 2008, because seemingly minor analytical decisions may lead to contradictory conclusions: When multiracial students are excluded from calculations, isolation appears to be increasing for all racial/ethnic groups; however, when multiracial students are included in calculations, isolation appears to be decreasing for all racial/ethnic groups. The reporting change has a weaker, but still significant, effect on certain dimensions of racial/ethnic dissimilarity. Conclusions In this study, we found that the NCES CCD's recent addition of a multiracial reporting category has resulted in estimates of segregation that are not longitudinally comparable and may vary in magnitude and direction depending on relatively minor analytical decisions. We urge scholars to take particular care in calculating and interpreting segregation trends and offer recommendations for educational research and practice.

Dismantling Invisibility in Multiracial College Students

This study was designed to test Tinto's theory of college student integration by measuring the social and academic integration of multiracial students. Policymakers and public interest have increased pressure on higher education institutions to address low degree completion rates among historically underrepresented racial minority students, leading to a targeted shift to assess and address factors that facilitate or hinder minority college student persistence. The participants for the current study consisted of a convenience sample of college students (n=173) classified as seniors at a mid-sized public four-year institution in Texas. The researcher collected pertinent demographic data and used the Institutional Integration Scale-Revised (IIS-R) to measure social and academic integration. The results of the analyses suggested a statistically significant correlation between being multiracial and social integration, but no significant correlation between being multiracial and academic integration.