High-risk health and credit behavior among 18- to 25-year-old college students.
The number of students accumulating credit card debt--and the amount of debt itself--on college campuses is increasing. If high-risk credit and health behavior are associated, health behavior interventions might apply to high-risk credit behavior.


OBJECTIVE
The authors' purpose was to examine these possible associations.


METHODS
They used a retrospective design with existing data from a sample of 45,213 US college students and several ordinal regression models, which corresponded with high priority college health issues.


RESULTS
Students with high-risk credit behavior were more likely to have driven after drinking, used amphetamines in the previous 30 days, felt functionally impaired by depression in the previous 12 months, had a higher body mass index (BMI), or had a lower grade-point average (GPA). They were less likely to have participated in vigorous physical activity, used condoms for oral or vaginal sex in the prior 30 days, or used marijuana. The findings support the notion that high-risk health and credit behaviors are associated.


CONCLUSIONS
Further research could clarify the nature of this relation.
Adams
Troy
T
Arizona State University's Health and Wellness Department, Gilbert 85296, USA. drtroy@cox.net
Moore
Monique
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012919:Social Behavior; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*