Examining the association of student mental health and food security with college GPA

BACKGROUND

Low food security and poor mental health are a persistent concern for college students.

OBJECTIVE

Examine how food security and mental health are associated with college student's grade point average (GPA).

METHODS

American College Health Association (ACHA)-National College Health Assessment III survey data Spring 2020 of students from 75 US universities (n = 48,103) were utilized to examine relationships among mental health, food security and academic performance (GPA).

RESULTS

The majority of the population self-reported high food security (58.3%) and moderate psychological distress (50.8%). Very low food security (B = -.523, OR = .59, p < .001) and moderate psychological distress (B = -0.19, OR = .83, p < .001) were inversely associated with high GPA. Reduced food security was associated with worse mental health measures.

CONCLUSIONS

Food security and mental health are negatively associated with GPA. To improve student success, universities must enhance services that address food insecurity and mental health.

The Role of Anti-Racist Community-Partnered Praxis in Implementing Restorative Circles Within Marginalized Communities in Southern California During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the adverse influence of structural racism and discrimination experienced by historically marginalized communities (e.g., Black, Latino/a/x, Indigenous, and transgender people). Structural racism contributes to trauma-induced health behaviors, increasing exposure to COVID-19 and restricting access to testing and vaccination. This intersection of multiple disadvantages has a negative impact on the mental health of these communities, and interventions addressing collective healing are needed in general and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Share, Trust, Organize, and Partner COVID-19 California Alliance (STOP COVID-19 CA), a statewide collaborative of 11 universities and 75 community partners, includes several workgroups to address gaps in COVID-19 information, vaccine trial participation, and access. One of these workgroups, the Vaccine Hesitancy Workgroup, adopted an anti-racist community-partnered praxis to implement restorative circles in historically marginalized communities to facilitate collective healing due to structural racism and the COVID-19 pandemic. The project resulted in the development of a multilevel pre-intervention restorative process to build or strengthen community-institutional partnerships when procurement of funds has been sought prior to community partnership. This article discusses this workgroup's role in advancing health justice by providing a community-based mental health intervention to marginalized communities in Southern California while using an antiracist praxis tool to develop a successful community-institutional partnership and to live up to the vision of community-based participatory research.

Prevalence and Correlates of Sleep Apnea Among US Male Veterans, 2005-2014

The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with sleep apnea among US male veterans. We used data from the 2005–2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to conduct survey-weighted descriptive, bivariate, and regression analyses. The prevalence of sleep apnea increased from 3.7% to 8.1% (P for trend <.001 for adjusted model) from 2005 through 2014. Increasing severity of psychological distress and unmet mental health care need were associated with increased odds of sleep apnea, as was a diagnosis of asthma. Increased screening of sleep health is critical to improve the health outcomes of veterans.

Time saving during acrylic bone cement setting in femoral stem implantation of hip arthroplasty: A prospective, double-blind, randomised study

In order to reduce the final stages of cementing time and intra-operative time, we analysed the behaviour pattern of a quick-setting cement. Quick-setting cement permits easy and adequate manipulation, which reduces surgical time and also the technical problems caused by waiting for setting to be completed. In order to verify the efficacy of faster cement, a double-blind randomised study was carried out comparing a type of traditional cement with quick-setting cement. Two groups of 20 patients were compared. The results show that the fast cement reduces setting time by an average of one minute and 55 seconds (p < 0.01) and presents similar manipulation characteristics to those of conventional cement. (Hip International 2005; 15: 143-8).