The National College Health Assessment, organized by the ACHA, provides information about college students through surveys in the following areas: alcohol use, tobacco use, drug use, sexual health, weight, nutrition, exercise, mental health, injury prevention, personal safety, and violence. The first question on the survey asks "Considering your age, how would you describe your general health?" The responses range from excellent, very good, good, fair, poor, and I don't know. The questions are very specific and in depth. They don't simply ask "Do you consume alcohol?" The survey asks how many hours you drank for, how many drinks you had over a specific period of time, how many times you have had 5 or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting, and a range of others. The survey goes into great detail regarding alcohol use, drug use, and sexual health. The purpose of this information is to map results over a period of time and recognize patterns. It can benefit your college campus in order to:
"-identify the most common risks to academic performance and retention
-better understand students' health trends and determine the health areas of highest priority
-report on campus behavioral norms
-allocate monetary and staffing resources
-design new health programs and evaluate current strategies
-compare your specific campus data with national, aggregate ACHA-NCHA data"
The survey raises siginificant questions and speculation about the lifestyles of college students. By fall 2005, 261,035 students from 424 colleges nationwide participated in this survey. If you're interested in filling out the survey or learning more go to http://www.acha.org/projects_programs/assessment.cfm.
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