Pilot Analysis of a Survey to Assess University Undergraduate Males Stress, Dressing and Eating Habits

Background: Stress can effect all aspects of life, including eating and dressing behavior. These changes impact the health and wellness of individuals. With less known research on men, the purpose of this study was to report preliminary findings using an original research instrument to assess the perceived effects of stress on eating and dressing behaviors among undergraduate college males. Methods: The sample included 32 male undergraduate students enrolled at a Midwestern University in the United States in 2017 completed the survey. The participants completed the survey two weeks apart. The instrument, Male Stress Dressing and Eating Survey, included 42 questions divided into four sections: 1) demographics, 2) effort put forth to control dressing and making healthy eating choices, 3) patterns of dressing and eating when stressed, and 4) dress items worn and foods eaten when under non-stressful and stressful conditions. Cohen’s Kappa (κ) was used to analyze test-retest reliability. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test, a nonparametric, paired sample test, was used to ascertain preliminary results pertaining to eating and dressing during perceived conditions. Results: Kappa values for these dressing question ranged from to κ = -0.01 to κ = 0.60. All Infraclass Correlation Coefficient test-retest coefficients were statistically significant (p < 0.05), with the median being .66 demonstrating good reliability. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests indicated that men under perceived stress were more likely to choose mixed dishes, salty-crunchy foods, sweet foods, and modify their diet. When under perceived stress, these men used fewer accessories and did not dress formally, were not engaged in hair maintenance behaviors, were less likely to use scent enhancer, and did not enhance their appearance. Conclusion: This survey has the potential to be reliable and useful in research related to stress, food, and dressing. Specifically, the instrument appears to be a useful tool for practitioners and researchers in the applied and academic areas associated with this age group and gender.

The Frequency of Sexual Perpetration in College Men: A Systematic Review of Reported Prevalence Rates from 2000-2017

Background: The prevalence of sexual perpetration in college men is unknown. Prior reviews of sexual violence prevalence rates have produced wide-ranging estimates, likely due to wide variation in measurement strategies.Objectives: This paper systematically reviewed research findings (from 2000-2017) regarding prevalence rates of sexual perpetration in college men and measurement strategies.Data Sources: PsycINFO and Web of Science databases.Eligibility Criteria: Empirical reports published between 2000-2017 that included male participants, available in English, and reported lifetime prevalence findings in Canadian or American college students.Participants: Data from 78 independent samples including 25,524 college men.Results: The average prevalence rate of any sexual perpetration was 29.3% (SD = 16.8), and the average rate of rape was 6.5% (SD = 6.3). Studies that used non-Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) based questionnaires recorded higher prevalence rates (41.5%) than SES-using studies (26.2%). At least sixteen different sexual perpetration questionnaires were identified. Modifying standardized questionnaires was extremely common; this was reported in over half the studies. Studies using modified standardized questionnaires found higher prevalence rates of sexual perpetration than studies using non-modified standardized questionnaires. Limitations: This report focused exclusively on college men in the United States and Canada.Conclusions and Implications: On average, 29% of college males report engaging in behaviors defined as sexual perpetration; however, there was a strong influence of measurement strategy on reported rates.

The Frequency of Sexual Perpetration in College Men: A Systematic Review of Reported Prevalence Rates From 2000 to 2017

Background: The prevalence of sexual perpetration in college men is unknown. Prior reviews of sexual violence prevalence rates have produced wide-ranging estimates, likely due to wide variation in measurement strategies. Objectives: This article systematically reviewed research findings (from 2000 to 2017) regarding prevalence rates of sexual perpetration in college men and measurement strategies. Data Sources: PsycINFO and Web of Science databases. Eligibility Criteria: Empirical reports published between 2000 and 2017 that included male participants, available in English, and reported lifetime prevalence findings in Canadian or American college students. Participants: Data from 78 independent samples including 25,524 college men. Results: The average prevalence rate of any sexual perpetration was 29.3% ( SD = 16.8), and the average rate of rape was 6.5% ( SD = 6.3). Studies that used non-Sexual Experiences Survey (SES)–based questionnaires recorded higher prevalence rates (41.5%) than SES-using studies (26.2%). At least 16 different sexual perpetration questionnaires were identified. Modifying standardized questionnaires was extremely common; this was reported in over half of the studies. Studies using modified standardized questionnaires found higher prevalence rates of sexual perpetration than studies using nonmodified standardized questionnaires. Limitations: This report focused exclusively on college men in the United States and Canada. Conclusions and Implications: On average, 29% of college males report engaging in behaviors defined as sexual perpetration; however, there was a strong influence of measurement strategy on reported rates.

The Effect of Learning Materials on Students’ Language Gain: An Empirical Study at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia

This study investigated the effectiveness of the English programme for year one students, at Baish Community College (Males, BCCM), Jazan Community Colleges (Males, JCCM and Females, JCCF), College of Engineering (Males), and College of Design and Architecture (Females). Research tools were a programme evaluation form and two short placement tests. This study focused heavily on the students’ progress of learning English. Two placement tests were used: one at the beginning of the semester, and the other on the second half of the semester with a two-month gap. The average of all groups on the first placement test was 18.5 out of 50. ANOVA analysis showed no significant differences between groups averages at p < 0.05 (p-value was 0.26). The level at the start is similar to all groups (homogeneous students). The second placement test showed a slight learning progress. The average of all groups was 21 out of 50, but with a high variation in percentages of gain amongst groups. Therefore, the second ANOVA analysis was conducted to examine the significance of the groups’ averages at p < 0.05. The analysis yielded a p-value of 0.0079. A third analysis was conducted on both tests to ensure further validity of the results; t-test for paired samples was used. All groups were positive except for Jazan Girls Community College which showed no progress at all.