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on theNational College Health Assessment

B o r s c r e p o r t

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B o r s c r e p o rB o r s c r e p o r t

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Presented October 7, 2010

Board of Regents Student Committee

Sam Sickbert ’11Chair and Student Observer

Class Representatives

Kaitlin Coates ’13Editor/Publications Assistant

Joe Paille ’11

Patrick Boland ’12

Kari Swanson ’13

Tom Fewer ’11

Rod Hubbard ’11

Megan Kaszuba ’12David Segar ’12

Tenzin Kunsal ’13

Leon Clark ’12Public Relations Coordinator

Katie Tonn ’11Vice-Chair



BORSC Report - Fall 2010 BORSC Report - Fall 20104

in good, very good, or excellent health (92.2 % o students are in this bracke

nationally).

Nevertheless, it is no surprise that health-related issues arise rom

time to time over the course o the school year. Factors that are inuential

enough to aect students’ academic perormance are o primary concern to

collegiate institution. Issues most requently reported by St. Ola students

having academic impacts4

include anxiety, cold/u/sore throat, participatio

extracurricular activities, sleep diculties and stress. It is important to not

the correlation between these diculties and aected academic perormanc

reects the national pattern. In act, with the exception o participation in

extracurricular activities, these actors were reported at even higher percent

the national data.

When comparing St. Ola data to the national data, it will be necess

to keep in mind that administration o the NCHA-II was not strictly limited

small liberal arts colleges, but rather reached out to various types o school

rom small to large and private to public. Thus, approximately 16% o natio

respondents were graduate or proessional students, which could easibly breected in responses to many o the survey items. In the sections that oll

it is our objective to illuminate some o the defning characteristics, habits,

tendencies o the current St. Ola student body. Good or bad, straightorwa

complex, these are some o the issues our campus aces, both as individua

a community.

4 Academic impact is defned as: received a lower grade on an exam, or an important project; received

grade in the course; received an incomplete or dropped the course; or experienced a signifcant disrupt

thesis, dissertation, research, or practicum work.

In the spring o 2010, St. Ola students participated in the ACHA-National

College Health Assessment II (NCHA-II). This assessment is a national survey

administered by the American College Health Association (ACHA) to assist collegehealth service providers, health educators, counselors, and administrators in

collecting data about their students’ habits, behaviors, and perceptions on the

most prevalent health topics.1

A total o 741 St. Ola students, 40.2% o the student body, responded to the

survey. The average age o respondents was 20.02 years. Females made up the

majority o respondents to the survey with 66.9%, while only 32.9%2 were males.

Respondents were distributed airly evenly across class year. 92.0% o students

identifed themselves as heterosexual, 2.4% as gay/lesbian, 3.4% as bisexual, and

2.2% identifed as unsure. On another note, 36.2% o students said they were in

a relationship, a relatively small percentage compared to the national average o

53.5%.3

The general health o the St. Ola student population is impressive when

compared to national data. 74.2% o St. Ola students rated their health as either

very good or excellent while only 59.9% o national respondents placed themselves

in one o these categories. Moreover, 95.5% o St. Ola students reported being

1 American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health

Assessment II: Saint Ola College Executive Summary Spring 2010. Linthicum, MD: American College HealthAssociation; 2010.

2 Cases where sex was missing were included in the calculation o percentages or this variable.

3 All national data has been taken rom the ACHA-NCHA II Reerence Group summary or 2009: American

College Health Association. American College Health Association-national College Health Assessment II:

Reerence Group Executive Summary Spring 2009. L inthicum, MD: American College Health Association; 2009.




higher rates o depression in St. Ola students, seeking treatment can be se

positive step in maintaining personal mental health. Since a large majority

Ola students are covered primarily by their parents’ health insurance, comp

the national rate o 63.5%, St. Ola students may eel that they have greater

to resources or treatment. Additionally, Boe House, which provides counse

to students, oers a convenient point o access or St. Ola students. Simila

a college o the church, St. Ola may be more successul in promoting stude

health because o the additional resource o campus pastors who are also a

to assist students in seeking help or discussing personal concerns.

A signifcant portion o students reported eeling very lonely. Over 68

St. Ola students have elt very lonely in the last 12 months, while only 57%

national reerence group ell into this category. This discrepancy may be t ied

large percentage o St. Ola students who have elt very sad over the past tw

months (69.7% to 62.0%). These are startling numbers that certainly dese

uture attention.

A greater percentage o St. Ola students (30.9% to 24.6%) also elt

other social relationships (outside o amily and intimate relationships) wervery dicult to handle. The disparity in stress rom platonic relationships co

result rom the high percentage o St. Ola students not in a relationship (6

relative to the national average (47.5%): Since riendships would likely have

greater inuence on the social lives o students not in a romantic relationsh

increased concern could stem rom greater investment in those relationshi

There are some categories o mental health in which St. Ola student

better than the national average: career-related issues, eeling overwhelmin

angry, and concern over amily problems and fnances. Results show that o

17.7% o St. Ola students have had a dicult time handling career-related

in the past 12 months, compared to the national average o 25.3%. One o texplanations o this statistic could be that the ability o the Center or Exper

Learning (CEL) to acilitate learning that complements the St. Ola curricula

guides students in the process o pursuing vocational goals. Programs suc

In most aspects o mental health, St. Ola students responded similarly

to the national averages. However, as some responses indicated, mental health

problems can have a great eect on students. Notably higher percentages o St.Ola students reported eeling very sad, overwhelmed or exhausted sometime in

the past twelve months than did the national reerence group. St. Ola students

also sought treatment or depression at a higher rate than the national average.

In addition to eeling lonely, students indicated greater stress rom platonic

relationships. Despite these concerns, St. Ola students ared better than students

nationally in regards to stress rom career-related issues and eelings such as

overwhelming anger.

Results o stress seem to have a signifcant, detrimental eect on St. Ola

students. Over 92% o St. Ola students reported eeling overwhelmed at any time

within the last 12 months, while 86.4% o students nationwide reported in the same

way. Exhaustion throughout the year was also reported at a higher level by St. Ola

students than by students o other colleges, at 86.9% and 81.1% respectively.

These higher values could be due to St. Ola students’ high levels o

involvement in extracurricular activities on campus and in the community. St. Ola

students reported ar greater participation in varsity athletics (18.6% compared to

8.0% nationally), club sports (18.2% to 10.4%), and intramurals (46.1% to 20.8%)

than other college students. Students also consistently volunteer in the community

and participate in student organizations or clubs.

More St. Ola students sought treatment or depression (12.8%) than the

national average (10.1%). This value was especially higher among male St. Ola

students, who were almost twice as likely to seek treatment as their national

counterparts (11.5% compared to 6.3%). Although these numbers may indicate




Substance abuse, specifcally alcohol use, has long been a hot-butto

among St. Ola students. According to the results o the survey, the majorit

Ola students, 67.9%, had used alcohol in the previous month. Despite St.position as a dry campus, these values are nearly identical to the national av

o 68.8%. While a notable portion o the St. Ola population, 22.3%, never

alcohol, this value sits only slightly higher than the national average o 18.3%

general, the survey results indicate that the drinking culture at St. Ola does

dier signifcantly rom most other American colleges.

Students were also asked how much they thought the typical studen

St. Ola drinks. Very ew respondents – less than one percent – claim that th

typical St. Ola student rerains rom alcohol. In act, 98.5% o students be

that the typical student had used alcohol at some point in the 30 days previ

the survey, and 26.6% think that most students drink 10 to 29 days out o ev

month. In reality, the majority o students use alcohol zero to nine days per

indicating that a signifcant portion o surveyed students overestimated the

o alcohol use at St. Ola.

Other substances, including cigarettes, marijuana, and tobacco rom

pipe (hookah), showed similar dierences between perceived and actual us

instance, approximately hal o the student body thinks the typical St. Ola s

has used marijuana in the last thirty days. In actuality, 72.4% have never us

much higher percentage than what students expect, both at St. Ola and nat

report having never or rarely used any o these substances. Generally, stude

perception o substance use and abuse is greatly exaggerated.

The skewed perception o substance abuse at St. Ola may be caused

number o dierent things. For instance, substance use is oten a part or ev

Career Connections Program, the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program,

and the Civic Engagement Program are some o the many opportunities students

have to pursue career interests while in school.

In the same vein, while 38.4% o the national reerence group reported

eeling overwhelmingly angry within the past 12 months, 30.3% o St. Ola students

share this statistic. This particular result is promising when weighed against the

data showing that St. Ola students are more stressed than other students across

the nation. Since stress may increase one’s propensity or anger, St. Ola students’

ability to control their anger despite higher stress indicates that they are able to

handle adverse situations in an adaptive manner.

Two other components o a student’s lie that may aect mental health

are amily and fnancial problems. Results show that 17.8% o St. Ola students

have experienced amily-related problems in the past 12 months, much lower than

the national average o 26.3%. Also, 21.3% o the students at St. Ola, compared

to 35.1% o national respondents have ound fnances dicult to handle. The

dierence seen here may be due to the act that the residential college environment

at St. Ola relieves the burden o many everyday expenses that students in othersituations need to deal with.




Students at St. Ola seem to take many steps to ensure their health o

campus. One indicator o this is the increased percentage o students on c

who are vaccinated or various illnesses:

The college’s Health Services makes it simple to be vaccinated or th

illnesses, as well as to obtain yearly u shots, which are oered on campus

small ee. The act that 90.7% o students at St. Ola (versus 74.7% nationw

have had dental exams in the past twelve months is another example o our

preventative health. An overwhelming majority o the participants in this su

97.9%, reported having health insurance, whether provided by their parents

by St. Ola. This percentage may explain St. Ola’s high rating in these hea

categories.

Sexual Behavior

Students reported the ollowing number o sexual partners within th

last 12 months:

ocal point o social events, and those who use alcohol and drugs, especially in a

social setting, are more noticeable than those who abstain and leave the event. We

believe that students’ inated perceptions o substance abuse could exert pressure

on students to use such substances more oten.

In response, student organizations like the Wellness Center have already

begun eorts to promote alcohol awareness on campus. For instance, the Center

designated September 16 through 19 o this year as an alcohol-ree weekend,

hosting a number o dierent events aimed toward providing alcohol-ree

alternatives or students. Also, the college invited Erica Upshaw to discuss the

story o her brother’s death ater a night o excessive drinking and substance abuse

with riends at a party. Upshaw ended her presentation by encouraging students

to drink responsibly and to look out or their peers. Such events are an important

component in the overall goal to educate students about the dangers o substance

abuse, especially alcohol.

St. Ola provides some weekend events that encourage students to engage

in activities that do not involve substance use such as movies, concerts and

dances. We encourage additional weekend programming and suggest that thesebenefcial events continue to be monitored or drugs and alcohol to maintain a sae

atmosphere. Further, we recommend that the Wellness Center publish some o

the results rom these surveys in campus publications to increase awareness that

college activities do not need to revolve around drinking and other substance use.

Indeed, a signifcant number o students do not drink at all, and most students

drink less than their peers would guess.




General Safety

multitude o athletic opportunities at St. Ola. St. Ola oers 27 intercollegi

sports, which is more than any other Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Con

school. In addition to the General Education requirement o two physical e

classes, St. Ola oers numerous intramural sports. About two thirds o stu

on campus participate in intramural sports. Skoglund Athletic Center, Tost

Center, and other spots on campus provide the pool, climbing wall, indoor a

outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, trails in the natural lands, and Gre

Bikes available to borrow, all valuable resources to ensure the physical healt

students.

Another act demonstrating the smart choices St. Ola students mak

only 0.4% o students at St. Ola reported driving ater having 5 or more dri

the last 30 days while 4.1% did nationwide. The low percentage o students

ater consuming 5 or more drinks may be due to the availability o Sae Ride

Public Saety rides, the school’s Motor Vehicle Policy, and the small size o t

campus. Sae Ride provides students with either a walking escort or vehicul

transportation on campus and to areas immediately adjacent to the campu

When Sae Ride is not operating, Public Saety sta will provide transportat

addition, when students “partied” or socialized during the last 12 months, 9

St. Ola students used a designated driver, in comparison to only 82.8% o s

nationally.

Why the dierence? Perhaps having numerous sexual partners is not

considered as socially acceptable here as other places. These numbers also reect

the act that there is less reporting o involvement in serious relationships here at

St. Ola than nationally.

When asked whether they used contraceptives in the last 30 days or

vaginal intercourse, 60.3% o St. Ola students identifed themselves with the

not applicable/didn’t use a method/don’t know category. This number is much

higher than the national data, but it could be explained by the number o St. Ola

students who have either never had vaginal intercourse or have not done so in the

last 30 days. This is 76.3% as opposed to 50% nationally. Contraceptive use is not

applicable to these students.

Nutrition

Physical Activity

It appears that students on campus largely abide by good nutritional

practices. The percentage o students who eat 3 or more servings o ruits and

vegetables at St. Ola, 63.5, is much higher than the national average, 35.1%. Why

such a huge disparity? One prominent reason is likely due to the abundance o resh ruits and vegetables Bon Appétit oers daily in the caeteria. The caeteria,

ranked 4th in the nation by the Princeton Review, purchases ood rom local

armers, including STOGROW. STOGROW is a student-run organic arm, and

last year Bon Appétit purchased $10,000 worth o produce rom STOGROW.

The emphasis on eating a healthy, balanced diet is reinorced daily, encouraging

students to make the right choices.

Exercise is another area where St. Ola students seem to excel. In response

to the prompt do vigorous-intensity cardio or aerobic exercise or at least 20

minutes at least once per week, 72.5% o St. Ola students answered yes as

opposed to 60.6% Nationwide. This dierence is likely present because o the




Student Government Association budgeting and unds. One solution may

to orm a group, perhaps a subcommittee o the Student Activities Commit

dedicated solely to oering weekend activities (ideas might include baking p

trips to the Twin Cities, a Mall o America scavenger hunt, recreation sports

tournaments, etc.).

Another eye-opening piece o inormation garnered rom these surve

results is the percentage o students eeling lonely. In a place where we con

community to be one o our strongest characteristics, it is disappointing to

discover that so many individuals are experiencing such a degree o lonelin

We eel that these numbers should not be ignored, and would like to see u

investigation in this area, whether carried out by BORSC or another group.

NCHA question regarding loneliness is rather vague, so it would be necessa

determine under what circumstances students are lonely in order to target t

problem.

Overall, the St. Ola student population is vibrant and healthy. In or

maintain and ourish, the college should create or promote existing institut

help students deal with academic and social pressures.

When looking over these results, the stark dierence between perceived

norms and the actual reported statistics stands out, specifcally when considering

alcohol use. This disparity is puzzling, to say the least. Proessor o SocialPsychology Dr. Minda Oriña suggests that this is likely due to our tendency as

humans to cast ourselves in the best possible light; we like to think we share

our negative traits (such as drinking too much) with others, and thus develop a

alse consensus in which we overestimate the degree to which others share our

own behavior, attitudes, or belies. Similarly, our own behavior will seem more

appropriate i we think everyone else (i.e., the ‘typical’ student) is drinking more

than we are.5

Dr. Oriña recommends that these statistics be incorporated into the

college’s alcohol campaign in order to reveal misperceptions.

Although St. Ola students do not drink as much as is generally thought,

the act remains that a considerable number o individuals are engaging in thesebehaviors. In light o data recently publicized by the college6 showing a drastic

jump in liquor violations over the last our years, we eel that emphasis needs to

be placed on making the presence o the non-drinking student population more

strongly elt. Consideration needs to be given toward increasing and/or diversiying

weekend programming. This may require examination o Residence Lie and

5 A good deal o research has been dedicated to this very issue. Brian Borsari and Kate Carey describe the

situation well: “Many college students overestimate both the drinking behaviors (descriptive norms) and the

approval o drinking (injunctive norms) o their peers. As a result, consistent sel-other discrepancies (SODs)have been observed, in which sel-perceptions o drinking behaviors and approval o drinking are usually lower

than comparable judgments o others.” (Borsari, B. and K. Carey (2003). “Descriptive and Injunctive Norms in

College Drinking: A Meta-Analytic Integration.” J Stud Alcohol 64(3): 331-341.)

6 The most recent Clery Act Report can be ound on St. Ola ’s website at http://www.stola.edu/stulie/saety/

reports/cleryact.html.

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