Student Assessment of SHP Wellness Center Programming

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Student Assessment of SHP Wellness Center
Programming

• In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for HED
  526 Evaluative Approaches
• Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
• 4/26/04
• Crystal Bartels, Michael Gary,
• Kimberly Gray and James Leone

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Background

• There are ? 14.5 million students enrolled in the
  3,800 institutions of higher learning in the U.S.
• 80 attend campuses with student health programs

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Background

• There is a trend towards heterogeneity in
  enrollment
• Only 40 of students are stereotypical
• The remaining 60 are
• Older students, international students, disabled
  students, commuters, distance learning students
  minority students

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Problem

• Increased student diversity necessitates altered
  and/or new programs to promote and maintain
  student health.

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Purpose

• To determine the major health concerns services
  needed by students at Southern Illinois
  University Carbondale.

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Research Questions

• Are students aware of the programs presently
  being offered by the Student Health Programs
  (SHP) Wellness Center?
• Are the students utilizing the SHP Wellness
  Center?
• If they are using the SHP Wellness Center, what
  services do they partake in most?
• Are their health needs and interests being
  appropriately covered by the existing programs
  and services offered?

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Operational Definitions

• Stereotypical Student
• Full-time, undergraduate student age 17-24
• Wellness
• Condition of good physical and mental health,
  especially when maintained by proper diet,
  exercise, and habits
• College health
• Developmentally appropriate, educationally
  effective, medically expert, accessible and
  convenient

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Delimitations

• SIUC students
• Access to internet or utilization of Student
  Center
• Time (2 week window)

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Sample

• Convenient sample of 203 SIUC students

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Demographics
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Demographics
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Data Collection Protocol

• The survey was made available either via the
  internet at (http//www.kittle.siu.edu/surveys/shp
  ) or distributed on paper at the Student Center
• All participants voluntarily anonymously took
  the survey

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Data Analysis

• Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel SPSS
  for Windows
• Frequencies
• Means
• SDs

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Knowledge scores were very good
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• Attitudes to note are
• - 98 agree or strongly agree that Wellness is
  important
• - 73 agree of strongly agree that there is a
  variety of programming
• - 67 are interested in changing components of
  their health
• 77 agree or strongly agree that the Wellness
  Center is accessible
• 81 agree or strongly agree that they are
  healthy
• - 86 agree or strongly agree that they prefer
  hands-on teaching methods

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The question about need for additional
nutritional programs had the most agreement (61)
Suggestions for additional programming were -
Pilates (GW), basic cooking (N), steroid
education (A/D)
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The bottom 9 (highest to lowest) were - healthy
cooking, conflict resolution, emergency
contraception, diversity, alternative medicine,
dating etiquette, environmental issues, dining
etiquette, internet addiction
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88 rarely to never attend workshops 83 rarely
to never keep up with activities that are
provided 77 rarely to never go to the Wellness
Center or SHAC if they need information or advice
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Discussion

• Most of the knowledge-based questions yielded
  results which indicate students are aware of the
  services offered at the SHP Wellness Center
• A large portion of the sample (98) indicate
  concern for their individual health and wellness

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Discussion

• Responses with regard to the website,
  advertising/promotion convenience of
  dates/times indicate that perhaps the Wellness
  Center is missing the population they are
  attempting to serve.

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Limitations

• Response/Report Bias
• Time
• Equipment malfunction
• User-error
• Need for re-wording of questions
• Small sample

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Conclusions

• There is a lack of use by students of the
  Wellness Center
• While students find it important to know about
  the Wellness Center, they dont take advantage of
  the services

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Recommendations if this study were to be repeated

• Improved time management
• Advertise farther in advance
• See out assistance incentives from local
  businesses
• Collect data in residence halls, Greek housing,
  off-campus apartments, etc.
• Seek out a larger, more diverse sample

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Specific Recommendations

• This survey, once re-worded could remain
  available for the students to respond to on the
  SHP Wellness Center website
• Data could be collected at the end of each
  semester or a computer could also be setup at the
  SHP Wellness Center students asked to complete
  the survey either prior to leaving or while they
  wait.

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Global Recommendations

• Pamphlets could be developed on each of the
  suggested topics offered at informational
  tables or the website could alternate
  highlighting a different topic each month.
• Increased promotion of the Wellness Center (could
  include PSAs, small advertisements placed in the
  Daily Egyptian and or website reconstruction)

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Thank You