THE HEALTH CONCERNS OF STUDENTS AND THE IMPLICATION FOR ALCOHOL EDUCATION PROGRAMMING

Abstract

The PURPOSE: of this study was to determine the degree of concern students have about a variety of health problems and issues which affect their physical, mental and social well-being. The purpose was also to assess the ranking of these health items associated with alcohol consumption with the leading causes of mortality and morbidity of college age students that are related to drinking. METHODS: the Health Concern Questionnaire, which contains 50 health issues, was used. A 5-point Likert scale asks for degree of concern about each issue. The questionnaire was administered to all students enrolled in a personal health courses at a large Midwestern university during spring semester 1982. A total of 429 students completed the instrument. RESULTS: Students were moderately concerned about several items associated with alcohol use and abuse including automobile accidents, death, alcohol dependence, drug abuse, and smoking. However, items associated with alcohol including suicide, drowning and sexually transmitted diseases only elicited mild concern although they are leading causes of mortality or morbidity among this population. CONCLUSION: although the results can not necessarily be generalized to the population at large of university students from this sample, more emphasis in health promotion and campus alcohol education programming on consequences of risky drinking and methods to reduce its consequences needs to be carried out.