Transcript Health Impacts of Negative Academic Behaviors

Health Impacts of
Negative Academic
Behaviors
Matty Lehman, MSS LSW
Tamarah Smith-Dyer, MS
University of Pennsylvania
Office of Health Education
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Presenters
 Matty Lehman, MSS LSW
 Associate Director, Office of Health
Education
 University of Pennsylvania
 Tamarah Smith-Dyer, MS
 Data Analyst, Office of Health Education
 University of Pennsylvania
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Agenda
 Office of Health Education, University of
Pennsylvania
 Definitions
 NCHA background
 NCHA academic impacts findings
 PHWS background
 NCHA academic impacts findings
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Office of Health Education
 Staff
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Susan Villari, MPH – Director
Matty Lehman, MSS – Assoc Director
Tamarah Smith-Dyer – Data Analyst
Steve McCann – Wellness Coordinator
 Programs
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Stress Reduction
Smoking Cessation
Peer Health
Sexual Health Programming
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NCHA- Background
 ACHA’s National College Health Assessment
 Comprehensive assessment including:
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Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use
Sexual health
Weight, nutrition, and exercise
Mental health
Personal safety and violence
Academic Impacts
National College Health Association (2008).Retrieved May 18, 2009, from http://www.achancha.org/partic_history.html
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NCHA- Background
 Reference Group- Spring 2006
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117 institutions, n=94,806 students
95% 4-year institutions
83% post-baccalaureate degrees
49% urban
22% suburban
32% rural
 Self reported data*
American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health
Assessment: Reference Group Data Report Spring 2006. Baltimore: American College Health Association;
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2006.
Academic Impact Methodology
 Health/wellness --> Academic performance
Key language:
“...have any of
the following
affected your
academic
performance?”
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Academic Impact Analysis
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Analysis examined:
1. What is the FREQUENCY OF SELF REPORTED
ISSUES impacting academics?
2. Are students with a LOWER GPA MORE LIKELY
TO REPORT:
 these issues impacted their academics?
 experiencing these health issues (regardless of
academic impact)?
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FREQUENCY OF SELF REPORTED ISSUES
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58% of student reported one or more of the
TOP 6 HEALTH RELATED ISSUES impacted their
academics:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
PHYSICAL HEALTH (Cold/flu/soar throat)
STRESS
SLEEP DIFFICULTIES
INTERNET USE
MENTAL HEALTH
ALCOHOL USE
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Are students with a lower GPA more likely
to report these issues impacted their
academics?
 Cross tabulating with reported GPA
 Group One: A GPA
 Group Two: Non-A GPA
 69% of students with a Non-A GPA report one or
more of the top six impacting their academics
 The odds that this group will experience one or
more of the top six issues is 2.5x higher than
that of students with an A GPA (p<.05)
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Are students with a lower GPA more likely to
report experiencing these health issues
(regardless of academic impact)?
 Using questions from other sections of the survey
 Results show that students with a non-A GPA
are significantly more likely to experience FOUR
OF THE SIX TOP ISSUES impacting academics:
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Physical health problems
Depression, Anxiety and/or SAD
Stress
Sleep difficulties
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NCHA Findings- Summary
 58% of students report one or more of
top six health concerns impact
academics
 Those students with a non-A GPA are
 significantly more likely to report these
academic impacts
 significantly more likely to report 4 of the 6
issues when unrelated to academics 12
Remaining Question
 Direction of relationship
 Poor health makes it difficult to perform academically
 OR
 Something happens during the academic process
that impacts health.
 The Penn Health and Wellness Survey (PHWS)
examined the “something” that may happen
during the academic process and its impact on
health.
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PHWS- Background
 Assesses similar areas as NCHA
 Web-based
 Launched spring 2008 (n=3025)
 Split into three sub-surveys to allow for
more comprehensive range of questions
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PHWS- Background
 Additional questions to provide
 Penn specific data
 More detail
Ex: Penn Specific
• Have you been tested for HIV
• Where were you tested
• Reason for choosing location
• Interest & willingness to use
various locations
Ex: More Detail
• Sexual Health
• Three sections: Oral, Vaginal &
Anal Sex
• Skip patterns provide questions
for each section
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Academic Impacts Methodology
 Methodology:
 Reverse order academics  wellness
 Add compensation behaviors- the
something that happens during academics
 Academic behavior --> Compensation --> Health/wellness
Unhealthy
academic
behaviors
Compensation
behaviors
Poor health
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‘
Academic Impacts Methodology
UNHEALTHY ACADEMIC BEHAVIORS
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Poor time management
Skipping class/going to class late
Not contributing to group projects
Not completing readings or assignments
Missing exams
COMPENSATIONS FOR POOR BEHAVIORS
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Stayed awake all night to get work done, etc.
Did not hand in best work
Copied work, paid or exchanged work
Compromised other school work
Canceled appointments (medial, counseling, etc)
Took AD/HD medications
IMPACTS ON
WELLNESS
•Physical health
•Mental health
•Anxiety
•Stress
•Sleep difficulties
•Nutrition
•Under exercised
•Over exercised
•Limited time with
friends
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Academic Impacts Analysis
1. What is the FREQUENCY OF
COMPENSATION behaviors
2. Did COMPENSATION behaviors IMPACT
HEALTH/WELLNESS
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FREQUENCY OF
COMPENSATION BEHAVIORS
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59% of students compensated for unhealthy
academic behaviors in some way
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6.
Top Compensations:
STAYING AWAKE
SKIPPING PERSONAL/SOCIAL EVENTS
NOT COMPLETING READINGS
NOT HANDING IN BEST WORK
SKIPPING CLASS
SKIPPING MEALS
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IMPACT OF COMPENSATIONS
ON WELLNESS
 Students who compensated for unhealthy
academic behaviors were significantly
more likely to report all measures of
wellness being impacted.
• Physical health
• Mental health
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Sleep difficulties
• Nutrition
• Under exercised
• Over exercised
• Limited time with
friends
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Summary
 A significant relationship between
wellness and academics exists
 Poor health impacts academics
 Compensations for poor academic
behaviors impact health
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Cyclic Relationship
•Poor time management
•Stay up all night to get work done
•Get sick
•Miss class and hand in
assignment late
•Now, grade is lower & too sick to
stay up
•Take AD/HD to stay up to work on
projects
•Sleep is disturbed
•Mental health is impacted
•Do poorly on exam
Unhealthy
academic
behaviors
Compensation
behaviors
Academic
Impacts
Poor health
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Points of Intervention
Unhealthy
academic
behaviors
•Learning Resources
•Faculty outreach
Compensation
behaviors
INTERVENTIONS
Academic
Impacts
•Health Education
Poor health
•Health Services
•Behavioral Intervention
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Some OHE Interventions:
Social Marketing
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Some OHE Interventions:
Behavioral Intervention
 Smoking Cessation
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Individual sessions
Trained counselor
Multiple modalities
Goal oriented
Comprehensive health
considered
 Stress Reduction
 (w/ alternative therapies)
 Individual sessions
 Alternative therapies
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Contact Info
University of Pennsylvania
Matty Lehman, LSW
Office of Health Education
[email protected]
3611 Locust Walk, 3rd Floor
Tamarah Smith-Dyer
Philadelphia, PA 19104
[email protected]
215.573.3525
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