Date of Award
Spring 6-12-2015
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Ronald Graf DNSc
Abstract
There is a growing body of evidence that reveals mounting need for radical modification of college health services for young adults in the United States. The health issues for this population, which are exacerbated by inadequate access to healthcare include alcoholism, depression, unintended pregnancy, disordered eating, sexual assault and sexually transmitted infections. Utilizing the College Student Health Survey developed by University of Minnesota’s Boynton Health Service, this study specifically focused on analyzing the health care needs of undergraduate students at a large, urban, university. Access and utilization of healthcare services for this population were also examined. An online survey was sent to 3,838 undergraduate students, but only 1,467 read the invitation with a response rate of 31.6% (N=463). Key findings from this online survey include a higher rate of anxiety, depression, tobacco use, and sexually transmitted infections. Additionally, there was 9.9% rate of uninsured undergraduate students. Conclusion: There is a huge need for student health services that is integrated and specifically addressing the issues relevant to the undergraduate students. Recommendations based upon the research findings are discussed in this paper in hopes of enhancing the health of the entire university undergraduate population. Implications for practice and future nursing research are also included in the discussion.
Recommended Citation
Graf, Linda, "An Online Survey of the Healthcare Needs of Undergraduate Students at an Urban University" (2015). College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations. 100.
https://via.library.depaul.edu/csh_etd/100
SLP Collection
yes