Transcript Document
Health Behaviors Assessment
Facilitating Student Success
WHAT IS THE HBA?
The HBA is an Internet-based self-reporting
instrument that measures three areas of
health behavior: eating behavior, physical
activity, and personal management skill.
A TOOL FOR ASSESSMENT, INTERVENTION, OUTCOME
Relationship of Health Behavior with
Student Success Outcome
Eating Behavior
It is used to provide an individual student
assessment and target potential behaviors
for positive change.
The HBA is useful as a screening device
to identify the needs of student cohorts and
assist institutional planning activities.
The HBA also includes a measure that
indicates student awareness and readiness
to make personal improvements.
Since the HBA measures specific
behaviors, anchored by a time dimension, it
can evaluate individual and group changes.
The HBA has been developed by
sampling over 2,200 students. An additional
260 students have received pre-test and
post-test evaluations to measure their
progress after interventions.
Alcohol
Consumption
- .21
Personal
Management Skill
Baseline Health Behaviors of
College Freshmen: Physical Activity
.19
77.8%
General Physical
Activity
- .21
20.4%
1.7%
GPA
.16
45.9%
Stretching/
Flexibility
18.1%
36.0%
.44
.13
42.7%
- .14
Physical Activity
.16
- .14
Strength Training
Life
Satisfaction
15.8%
41.4%
0%
BMI
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Percent of 1,286 College Freshmen
Regression coefficients of health behavior variables for each
predictors (GPA, Life Satisfaction); Significant at alpha=.05
Meeting recommendation
Close, but not yet meeting recommendation
Not meeting recommendation
The HBA has been used as an assessment and evaluation tool for interventions and outcome
research. Examples are:
A peer-mentored intervention to improve personal health enhancement of college freshmen
has demonstrated significant improvements on 14 out of 19 HBA variables as compared to an
education only intervention.
Research establishing how health behaviors of college students are associated with their
academic success outcomes.
Normative HBA profiles have been developed of baseline health behaviors among college
freshmen at their first semester (N=1,286).
HOW DO STUDENTS LEARN FROM THE HBA?
Upon completion of the inventory, the
student receives immediate feedback on an
individual profile. The individual profile
feedback compares the student’s results with
established criterion standards into three
possible categories:
- Meeting recommendation
- Close, but not meeting recommendation
- Not meeting recommendation
Follow-up resources include classroom
healthy behavior presentation, resource
website, and individualized intervention.
HBA Profile Example
II. Eating Behavior
Category - Foods that
should be consumed often
Meeting
recommendation
Close, but not
meeting
recommendation
√
Fruits and Vegetables
√√
Whole Grains
Low-Fat or Fat-Free Dairy
Category - Foods to use in
moderation or sparingly
√√√
Low
Consumption
Moderate
Consumption
High
Consumption
√√
High Fat Foods
Caffeinated Beverage
Not meeting
recommendation
√√√
Regular Pop/Soda
√
Sweetened Beverage
√
Alcoholic Beverage
√√√
K-CAT is a non-profit organization that distributes instruments designed to provide
screening, feedback, diagnostic input, and outcome evaluation for specific areas of
student performance. For more information,
visit www.k-cat.org or call 785.532.3875