Volume 11, Issue 3 - Special Issue on University students: Health and development for the leaders of tomorrow: Edited by Daniel T.L. Shek, Rachel Sun and Joav Merrick

No abstract available.

A survey of the literature shows that there are worrying develop\xadmental issues among university students in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, universal adolescent prevention and positive youth development programs specifically designed for university students are grossly lacking in Hong Kong. With reference to the positive youth development approach, it is argued that promotion of intrapersonal competencies and interpersonal relationship skills among university students is an important strategy to facilitate holistic development and well-being of young people in Hong Kong. At The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a course entitled “Tomorrow’s Leaders” focusing on positive youth development constructs to promote student well-being will be offered on a compulsory basis starting from the 2012/13 academic year under the new undergraduate curriculum structure. This paper outlines the objectives, intended learning outcomes, syllabus, assessment and references of the subject.

The aim of this paper was to review literature related to pre\xadvalence of drinking on college campuses and current prevention practices targeting this population. This paper focuses on current data surrounding alcohol use and misuse. It further discusses strategies which have been successful to prevent alcohol abuse. Finally, it discusses the need for further research to determine the role of the physician in alcohol prevention at university student health services.

Suicide and suicidal ideation are a concern on college campuses. The prevalence data for suicidal thoughts and suicidal behavior among college students, and the associated risk factors, are reviewed. Important components of a prevention and intervention program are addressed. An integrated, multifaceted approach that involves collaboration among important stakeholders, and incorporates the unique features of each university may be beneficial. Once at-risk students are identified, a comprehensive assessment can be conducted. A treatment plan can then be developed that targets the unique factors related to suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior for each student. It is recommended that multidisciplinary teams be utilized in all phases of program development, implementation, assessment, and treatment.

The current recommendation of the American College of Sports Medicine for proteins is 1.2–1.7 g/kg/day. This recommended protein intake is actually greater than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein, which is around 0.8 g/kg/day, and is based on several studies that documented increased protein requirement in athletes. Most athletes generally consume more than the recommended protein intake of 1.7 g/kg/day apart from taking amino acid and protein supplements. The current review analyses if the increased protein intake has any beneficial effect on muscle building and performance of athletes, and if there is an optimal time and type of protein for ingestion if this is the case. Studies have shown that high protein intake accentuates renal insufficiency in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We also review if the high protein intake predisposes healthy athletes with normal kidneys and kidney function to any renal problems in the future.

Acute abdominal pain in the college student can be due to many causes, some of which are considered in this discussion. The key to an accurate diagnosis is a meticulous medical history, careful physical examinations repeated over time, and judicious use of laboratory and/or imaging studies. The medical history may indicate red flags that alert the astute clinician to which causes are benign and which ones indicate serious pathology. Particularly important is the location of the pain and how it may change over time. The challenging features presented by acute abdominal pain in the college student include findings, such as guarding or rigidity, signifying acute appendicitis or peritonitis vs. negative palpatory findings that are non-specific with minimal clinical value. Appropriate follow-up over time is a valued tool in the clinician’s armamentarium in the evaluation and management of acute abdominal pain.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which usually occurs in childhood or adolescence, is also a common diagnosis among college or university students. These students may find it difficult to achieve success in the university without the help of anti-ADHD medications that allow them to concentrate. The widespread use of anti-ADHD stimulants within this group has led to the problem of students abusing such medications. Research also notes a growing phenomenon characterized by the misuse of medication among students with and without ADHD. This discussion reviews current research on this growing situation and provides recommendations to curtail it.

To promote leadership and intrapersonal competence in university students, a general education course based on the positive youth development approach was developed at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in Hong Kong. The course was piloted in four classes of students in the 2010/11 academic year. After completion of the course, subjective outcome evaluation data based on a validated instrument were collected from 189 students. Results showed that the students generally had positive perceptions of the program and implementers, with over 90% of the participants indicating that they were satisfied with the program and that the program was perceived as helpful to them in the domains of holistic development and leadership. Multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived qualities of the program was a major factor predicting perceived effectiveness of the program.

At The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a two-credit gene\xadral education course entitled “Tomorrow’s Leaders” was developed to promote intra- and interpersonal competencies in university students. The course was piloted in four classes of students in the 2010/11 academic year. Pre-test and post-test data utilizing the Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale (CPYDS) were collected from 50 students taking the course. Positive changes in the program participants based on the total scale and subscale scores were observed. The present study provides pioneering support for the effectiveness of the course in promoting holistic development of Chinese university students in Hong Kong.

To understand the implementation quality of a general education course at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, process evaluation was carried out for 14 lectures, with each lecture being observed by two observers. Results showed that the average level of program adherence was high (85.71%). High implementation quality of the program in the areas of student interest, classroom control, use of interactive delivery method, use of strategies to enhance student motivation, opportunity for reflection, degree of achievement of the objectives, quality of preparation, overall implementation quality and success of implementation was observed. Results also showed that different aspects of the program implementation contributed to the high quality and success of the program. The present findings provide support for the implementation quality of the course in a university setting.

Qualitative evaluation was carried out to understand the perceptions of the students taking a course entitled “Tomorrow’s Leaders” at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Based on the reflections of 189 students, results showed that most informants used positive descriptors to describe the course. When the informants were invited to name a metaphor that could stand for the course, the related metaphors were basically positive in nature. Intra- and inter-rater reliability analyses revealed that the coding of the positive or negative nature of the responses was reliable. The present study provides qualitative evaluation findings supporting the effectiveness of this course in promoting holistic development in Chinese university students in Hong Kong.

Five focus groups (n=23 students) were conducted to understand the feelings and views of the students taking a course entitled “Tomorrow’s Leaders” at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Several observations were highlighted from the findings. First, students generally had positive perceptions of the subject content, the class, and the lecturers. Second, almost all students regarded the subject could promote their reflection and self-understanding. Third, all students held the view that there was a need to have this course in their university study. Finally, students identified some aspects of the course that could be improved and some suggestions for revamping the course were made. In conjunction with other evaluation findings, the present findings suggest that this subject can promote the holistic development of Chinese university students in Hong Kong.

Introduction: The demand and requirement for blood exceeds the supply from blood donations. There is a need to retain the donors as well as increase the source-pool by motivating the non-donors. Objectives: To study the blood donation intention and current status among college students in a region of Delhi, and the associated motivating and barrier factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in four colleges in east Delhi. The participants were 674 adolescent students selected by cluster sampling, interviewed using a semi-open-ended, self-administered questionnaire. Results: The sample consisted of 239 (35.5%) males and 435 (64.5%) female students, aged 17–25 years. Of the students, 86 (12.8%) were blood donors. Most donors (60; 69.8%) had donated once, 11 (12.8%) twice, and 15 (17.4%) on more than two occasions. Majority of the non-donors (506; 86.1%) stated that they would like to donate blood in the future. The most common reason mentioned for not having donated blood so far was ‘never been asked to donate’. The potential motivating factors mentioned were ‘more information’ (40.5%) and ‘convenient location and time’ (27.9%). The reasons mentioned as barrier factors included ‘fear of HIV infection’ (27.0%) and ‘fear of damage to health’ (22.6%). There was a significant gap between the proportions of those with positive intention and those who had actually donated. Conclusions: Many potential barriers to donation were mentioned by the non-donors, which need to be addressed by the policy makers. There is a need for special focus on the college student population for voluntary blood donation.

Background: The present study focuses on the academic activities of a service-oriented department and the practical training it provides to students in the undergraduate physical therapy program. This profession has significant importance in Israel due to the large number of war and terrorist attack victims as well as the high rate of traffic accidents. In addition, ever-rising life expectancies are expanding the number of patients who need professional help.Objective: The research aims to analyze the satisfaction of department graduates with their academic training and practical experiences. Such information can be used to reinforce the connection between the department’s teaching program and the students’ final achievements as well as the conditions and terms of employment after graduation. Study group: The present study was based on a survey of 109 graduates of the Department of Physical Therapy at the Ariel University Center in Israel. Methods: Data were collected through an analytical cross-section survey administered online. Results: The findings point to the academe’s contribution to practical work in the field. No correlation was found between graduates’ profiles upon admission and their achievements in the program and at work, their studies toward advanced degrees, and their satisfaction with their training program and their work. Work condition was also identified as a factor that undermined work satisfaction. Conclusions: This case study points to the significance of a close association between the academe and the field in reducing the differences between students’ final achievements in the program and their subsequent work conditions in the field.

Introduction: The basis of Social Norms Theory is that behavior is influenced by the perception of peer behavior. This implies that an overestimation (misperception) of substance use by peers would lead to an increase in personal substance use. It is hypothesized that the misperception of substance use by peers is negatively associated with health and academic performance, and that this association can be explained by an increase in personal substance use. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations of misperception of consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs with health and academic performance, and to test whether or not this association could be explained by substance use in a sample of university students. Methods: Data of 6403 university students in five European countries were gathered through a questionnaire about substance use by themselves and by peers, physical and mental health, and academic functioning. Misperception is defined as an overestimation of the estimated prevalence of substance use among students. Multivariate models are built with misperception regarding tobacco, alcohol and recreational drugs, and personal use of substances as independent variables, and health and academic performance as dependent variables. Results: Misperception is significantly associated with health and academic functioning. This association could not be explained by personal substance use. Conclusions: This study subscribes to an earlier work on the importance of social norms, which indicates a negative influence of misperceptions on health and academic outcomes.

The social norms approach is an increasingly popular intervention for substance use that has been used extensively in the American college system. It operates by correcting normative misperceptions individuals hold about their peers. However, there have been few direct comparisons of substance use misperceptions between student populations in different European countries. The current study sought to address this through use of a survey of substance use and normative beliefs at universities in five European countries. Students at each site were invited to take part in an online survey that included items on personal substance use and the perceived use of peers. A total sample of 6404 students was obtained. Mann-Whitney and χ 2 analysis were used to demonstrate an apparent misperception effect, with the majority of students at each site significantly (p<0.05) overestimating the substance use of their peers. This study suggests that students in Europe are prone to misperceiving the substance use of their peers in a manner similar to their American college counterparts, despite the cultural and legislative differences between these settings. This provides support for the potential in using social norms approaches to reduce rates of harmful substance use in European student populations.

A convenience sample of 400 students were recruited to investigate gender differences in sleep habits and sleep-related problems using a self-administered questionnaire. Univaraiate analysis showed that females went to bed earlier (p<0.01) and rose earlier (p<0.01), had longer sleep duration (p<0.01), more nightmares (p<0.01), lesser snoring (p<0.01), lesser nocturnal awakening caused by eating (p<0.01), and had poorer sleep quality than males on the night of examination (p<0.01). Gender differences in sleep habits and sleep problems were found and were different than those reported from other cultures.