Zeitschrift für Forschung und Entwicklung im Bereich Gesundheitserziehung

An Examination of College Student Health Knowledge

Abstract

Kathy Sexton-Radek

College students possess an omnipresence reference that influences their assumptions that their youth is equated to good health. For the most part, this logic prevails, until a closer examination of college life experiences reports high risk behaviours, struggles with health issues and the onset of conditions that were preventable by a healthier lifestyle. Suicide deaths, risky sexual practices, sleep deprivation, substance use represent more of the impactful unhealthy practices and missed meals, non-nutritious food intake and untreated colds/coughs represent the more moderate health concerns of college students. The current investigation explored the health knowledge of college students. Results from a pre-test to post-test case control design indicated a statistically significant difference in health knowledge following a Health Psychology course/educational intervention. The overall number correct on a textbook publisher instrument of Health Knowledge was used as the dependent variable. With no significant differences found for demographic variables of age, gender, number of health related courses taken the data was collapsed into a single group for analysis. The results are presented and discussed in terms of low and high areas of knowledge.