title: The impact of financial circumstances on student health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the impact of students' financial circumstances on their mental and physical health.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study employed a correlational design.
  
  
  METHODS
  An opportunity sample of 89 British students and 98 Finnish students completed a questionnaire which assessed their amount of debt, financial concerns, mental and physical health, smoking and drinking behaviours, work in addition to study, and perceptions of control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  British students reported greater levels of debt and financial concern than Finnish students. They also reported significantly worse mental and physical health on a variety of dimensions. Financial concern was a significant linear predictor of mental and physical health, with increased financial concern being consistently associated with worse health. There was no evidence that students' smoking or drinking behaviour, work in addition to study, or perceptions of control substantially mediated the relationship between financial concern and health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support the position that students' financial circumstances might have serious implications for their health. It is proposed, therefore, that recent changes in government funding policies for students could have a negative impact on student health and exacerbate finance-related health inequalities. Further research is required to identify factors that may mediate or moderate the impact of financial concern on health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Sussex, UK. d.jessop@sussex.ac.uk
authors.forename: Donna C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Jessop
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herberts
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Solomon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005380:Financing, Government; D005387:Finland; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*