ERIC ED419448: The Health of First Year Students. Working Paper.

25 Pages·1995·0.42 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
HE 031 220
ED 419 448
Grayson, J. Paul
AUTHOR
The Health of First Year Students. Working Paper.
TITLE
York Univ., Toronto (Ontario). Inst. for Social Research.
INSTITUTION
ISBN-1-55014-283-6
ISBN
1995-00-00
PUB DATE
NOTE
25p.
Institute for Social Research, York University, 4700 Keele
AVAILABLE FROM
St., North York, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3 ($12.50 Canadian
dollars).
Evaluative
Reports
Numerical/Quantitative Data (110)
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*College Freshmen; Ethnic Groups; Foreign Countries;
DESCRIPTORS
*Health; Higher Education; *Self Evaluation (Individuals);
Sex Differences; Stress Variables; Student Experience;
Tables (Data)
*York University ON
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This study examined the self-assessed health status of
college freshmen at York University (Ontario, Canada), a large commuter
university in metropolitan Toronto, through an end-of-year survey of 1,856
first-year students. Results were compared with responses of undergraduate
students at six other Canadian universities and with findings from the 1991
Canadian Social Survey of the self-assessed health of the 18- to 24-year-old
population in general. Results indicated that the self-assessed health of
York first-year students was lower than that of Canadian undergraduates in
general and lower than that of the general population in the 18- to 24-year
age category. Possible reasons for this finding is that female students and
those of Chinese origin tend to have lower self-evaluated health than other
students, and that family, financial, and social stresses may also contribute
to lower levels of self-assessed health. Among various first-year
experiences, only involvement in sports and classroom involvement appeared to
contribute to good self-assessed health. Tables and an appendix provide study
details. (Contains 16 references.)
(DB)
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1
CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN HIGHER EDUCATION
THE HEALTH OF FIRST
YEAR STUDENTS
J. PAUL GRAYSON
1
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
ED
CENTER (ERIC)
This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in this
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS
BEEN GRANTED BY
Institute for Social
Research, York Univ
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
1
CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN HIGHER EDUCATION
THE HEALTH OF FIRST
YEAR STUDENTS
J. PAUL GRAYSON
3
©
J Paul Grayson, 1995
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publisher.
Institute for Social Research
Published by:
York University
ISBN: 1-55014-283-6
4
The Health of First Year Students
Institute for Social Research
Founded in 1965, the Institute for Social Research (ISR) is an
is to
Organized Research Unit of York University. The Institute's purpose
social research. The
promote, undertake and critically evaluate applied
Institute provides consultation and support services to York faculty,
students and staff conducting research in the social sciences, and, to a
from
lesser extent, in the biological and physical sciences. For researchers
and the
other universities, government agencies, public organizations
and
private sector, the Institute provides consultation on research design
undertakes data collection, data processing and statistical analysis, on a
fee-for-service basis.
ISR houses the largest university-based survey research unit in
ranging
Canada, annually conducting twenty to thirty research projects
The
from small surveys in one locale to provincial and national surveys.
sample
capabilities of the Institute include questionnaire and sample design,
files,
selection, data collection, preparation of machine-readable data
statistical analysis and report writing.
ISR's Statistical Consulting Service provides consultation on
research design and statistical analysis. The Service also sponsors short
methodology and the use of
courses on statistical analysis, research
statistical software. The consulting service is partially supported by a grant
from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
ISR's data archive provides public access to survey data collected
official
by the Institute, to data sets from major Canadian surveys, and to
statistics, such as the census aggregate and public-use microdata files from
the Canadian Census.
For more information, write to:
Institute for Social Research
York University
4700 Keele Street
North York, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3
Telephone: [phone]; Fax [phone]
Page 2
The Health of First Year Students
Foreword
The Institute for Social Research produces four types of articles in its
publication series:
Working papers;
Reports on various technical and managerial aspects of the
research process designed for technical support staff and
research managers;
Reports on topics of general interest to non-specialist
readers; and,
Reports on various methodological and substantive issues
aimed at experts in the field.
The following is a working paper.
Acknowledgements
A number of individuals at the ISR contributed to various phases of the
research on which the following report is based. In no particular order I
would like to thank: Darla Rhyne, David Northrup, John Tibert, Greg
Hanson, and Anne Oram. I would also like to thank Bill Bruce for his
assistance with name generation and Linda Grayson and Mike Ornstein for
helpful comments made on an early draft of the report.
Page 3
The Health of First Year Students
Other Publications on York Students
The College-University Linkage: An Examination of the Performance of
Transfer Students in the Faculty of Arts at York University
$10.00
Stephen Bell (1995)
Globe and Mail Reports, Student Experiences, and Negative Racial
Encounters
$10.00
J. Paul Grayson (1995)
Comparative First Year Experiences at York University:
Science, Arts and Atkinson
$10.00
J. Paul Grayson (1994)
A Characterization of Areas of Racial Tension Among First Year Students:
A Focus Group Follow-Up to a Large Survey
$10.00
J. Paul Grayson (1994)
Race on Campus: Outcomes of the First Year Experience at
York University
$10.00
J. Paul Grayson (1994)
'Racialization' and Black Student Identity at York University
$10.00
J. Paul Grayson with Deanna Williams (1994)
The Social Construction of 'Visible Minority' for Students of Chinese Origin
J. Paul Grayson with Tammy Chi and
$10.00
Darla Rhyne (1994)
Who Leaves Science? The First Year Experience at York University
$10.00
J. Paul Grayson (1994)
The Characteristics, Needs, and Expectations of Students Entering
York University
$10.00
J. Paul Grayson (1993)
Gender and Minority Group Differences in Desired Outcomes of
Adult Post-Secondary Education: The Student Perspective
$10.00
J. Paul Grayson (1993)
Outcomes and Experiences of First Year Science in Two Universities
$10.00
J. Paul Grayson (1993)
Page 4
7
The Health of First Year Students
University
Improving First Year Science Education in a Commuter
$10.00
J. Paul Grayson (1993)
First Year Science
The Experience of Female and Minority Students in
$10.00
J. Paul Grayson (1993)
Satisfaction by
Response Effects: Variations in University Student&
Method of Data Collection
$10.00
David A Northrup and Michael Ornstein (1993)
Second Year
Student Withdrawals at York University. First and
Students, 1984-85
Gordon Darroch, David A Northrup
$10.00
and Mirka Ondrack (1989)
Page 5
The Health of First Year Students
Summary
fringe of
At York University, a large commuter university located on the suburban
lower than
Metropolitan Toronto, the self-assessed health of first year students is
that of Canadian undergraduates in general and those in the 18 to 24 age category
who are not enrolled in universities. While the reasons for these differences are
of
difficult to pinpoint, on the basis of surveys conducted prior to the beginning
students and those
classes, and at the end of first year, it can be argued that female
students. Moreover,
of Chinese origin have lower self-evaluated health than other
with making
students who enter university anticipating a stressful year (difficulties
able to
friends, having enough money, family interference with studies, and being
than others.
handle stress) have lower self-assessed health at the end of the first year
lower
Actual difficulties with making friends and handling stress contribute to even
experiences,
levels of self-assessed health. Among a number of possible first year
self-
only involvement in sports and classroom involvement contribute to good
contribute to
assessed health. Overall, the fmdings support the notions that stresses
positive
low assessments of health and integration into the institution makes a
contribution to health.
Page 6
9
The Health of First Year Students
Ontario, the
In 1994 students entering King's College the University of Western
Laurentian
University of Toronto, Nipissing College, the University of Guelph,
all filled out
University, the University of Western Ontario, and Brock University
Group at the
the same questionnaire, distributed by the Student Environment
questions on
University of Guelph, in which they were asked, among other things,
14%
their emotional and physical health. Of those responding to the surveys,
health and a further
believed that they were in the top 10% in terms of emotional
average
36% believed they were above average. Forty three percent said they were
below
and the small remainder, 7%, believed that their emotional health was
health, 13% and 34% said that they were
average. When asked about their physical
thought they
in the highest 10%, and above average, respectively. Forty six percent
were average and
only 7% below
Graph 1: Self-Assessed Health of First Year York Student
average. Fewer
than 1% placed
themselves in the
Vey Good
Excellent
lowest 10% in
terms of physical
18%
38%
health.'
While the above
2%
Poor
data suggest that
10%
in terms of both
emotional and
31 %k
Fair
physical health the
vast majority of
students entering
Good
certain Canadian
universities believe
that they are above
Compared to other people your age, how would you describe your health?
Would you say it is...
average,
information on
health, are
their health at the end of first year, and the impact of the first year on
1,856 first
unavailable. At York University, however, in an end of year survey of
65%); compared to others their age,
year students (response rate approximately
good, and 10%
18% described their health as excellent, 39% as very good, 31% as
and 2% as fair and poor respectively (Graph 1).
York?
What do these responses tell us about the health of first year students at
24 year
How do the health assessments of York students compare to those of 18 to
the
olds enrolled in other Canadian universities? How do they compare to
evaluations of young adults who are not attending universities? Do health
importantly, from the
assessments vary by gender, income, race, or age? More
that
university's point of view, are there particular first year student experiences
Page 7