Spotlight on: Assessing Student Health
The ACHA-National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA II) is a national research survey organized by the American College Health Association (ACHA) to assist college health service providers, health educators, counselors and administrators in collecting data about their students' habits, behaviors and perceptions on the most prevalent health topics. In 2000, ACHA initiated the original ACHA-NCHA and the instrument was used nation-wide through the spring 2008 data collection period. The ACHA-NCHA now provides the largest known comprehensive data set on the health of college students, providing the college health and higher education fields with a vast spectrum of information on student health.
The ACHA-NCHA II survey instrument is designed to collect data on the following topics: General Health of College Students; Disease and Injury Prevention; Academic Impacts; Violence, Abusive Relationships and Personal Safety; Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drug Use; Sexual Behavior; Nutrition and Exercise; Mental Health; and Sleep. The ACHA-NCHA II supports the health of the campus community by fulfilling the academic mission, supporting short- and long-term healthy behaviors, and gaining a current profile of health trends within the campus community.
Concordia administers the ACHA-NCHA II to the entire student body on an even-numbered year cycle. The most recent Executive Summary highlights the results of the ACHA-NCHA II Spring 2012 survey for Concordia College consisting of 490 respondents. The overall response rate was 39.4%. Because our academic community is actively engaged in the expansion of student learning, the data from the spring 2012 administration of the ACHA-NCHA II regarding Academic Impacts is shared below. It is fundamental to the basic philosophy of assessment that we use this data to investigate ways in which behaviors are potentially detrimental to our students’ learning.
Academic Impacts
Within the last 12 months, Concordia students reported the following factors affecting their individual academic performance, defined as: received a lower grade on an exam, or an important project; received a lower grade in the course; received an incomplete or dropped the course; or experienced a significant disruption in thesis, dissertation, research, or practicum work; (listed alphabetically):
Alcohol use:
3.3 %
Gambling:
0.0 %
Allergies:
1.2 %
Homesickness:
5.2 %
Anxiety:
21.4%
Injury:
2.1 %
Assault (physical):
0.4 %
Internet use/computer games:
14.7%
Assault (sexual):
0.8 %
Learning disability:
2.3 %
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder:
3.1 %
Participation in extracurricular activities
13.5%
Cold/Flu/Sore throat:
13.0 %
Pregnancy (yours or partner's):
0.0 %
Concern for a troubled friend or family member:
11.1 %
Relationship difficulties:
8.5 %
Chronic health problem or serious illness:
3.1 %
Roommate difficulties:
8.2 %
Chronic pain:
2.3 %
Sexually transmitted disease/ infection (STD/I):
0.0 %
Death of a friend or family member:
6.6 %
Sinus infection/Ear infection/ Bronchitis/Strep throat:
3.9 %
Depression:
10.4 %
Sleep difficulties:
22.8%
Discrimination:
0.8 %
Stress:
28.2%
Drug use:
0.4 %
Work:
8.6%
Eating disorder/problem:
0.6 %
Other:
1.5%
Finances:
2.9 %