title: African American college students' health behaviors and perceptions of related health issues.
abstract: The authors identify specific health-related behaviors of African American college students and compare them with the students' perceptions of corresponding health issues. Among students surveyed, the rate of cigarette smoking (4%) was very low compared with smoking rates found in a national survey (14%); but alcohol consumption was relatively high (63%), although lower than the national average of 91%. More men than women smoked, but more women than men reported they drank alcoholic beverages. Most students (90.2%) said they did not usually eat breakfast, 73.6% reported that their diets were not nutritionally balanced, and the majority (55.4%) were not involved in daily physical activity. More than half (63%) of the students reported satisfactorily handling stress, and 74.1% indicated that they were sexually active. Respondents perceived the most important health issues facing college students as HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), birth control, date rape, stress management, suicide, and alcohol and other drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education and Recreation, Howard University, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Goode
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012744:Sex Ratio; D013333:Student Health Services; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States