Credit card debt, stress and key health risk behaviors among college students.
OBJECTIVE
To examine cross-sectional associations between credit card debt, stress, and health risk behaviors among college students, focusing particularly on weight-related behaviors.


METHODS
Random-sample, mailed survey.


METHODS
Undergraduate and graduate students (n = 3206) attending a large public university.


METHODS
Self-reported health indicators (e.g., weight, height, physical activity, diet, weight control, stress, credit card debt).


RESULTS
More than 23% of students reported credit card debt > or = $1000. Using Poisson regression to predict relative risks (RR) of health behaviors, debt of at least $1000 was associated with nearly every risk indicator tested, including overweight/obesity, insufficient physical activity, excess television viewing, infrequent breakfast consumption, fast food consumption, unhealthy weight control, body dissatisfaction, binge drinking, substance use, and violence. For example, adjusted RR [ARR] ranged from 1.09 (95% Confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.17) for insufficient vigorous activity to 2.17 (CI: 0.68-2.82) for using drugs other than marijuana in the past 30 days. Poor stress management was also a robust indicator of health risk.


CONCLUSIONS
University student lifestyles may be characterized by a variety of coexisting risk factors. These findings indicate that both debt and stress were associated with wide-ranging adverse health indicators. Intervention strategies targeting at-risk student populations need to be tailored to work within the context of the many challenges of college life, which may serve as barriers to healthy lifestyles. Increased health promotion efforts targeting stress, financial management, and weight-related health behaviors may be needed to enhance wellness among young adults.
Nelson
Melissa C
MC
Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South Second Street, WBOB Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454-1015, USA. nelson@epi.umn.edu
Lust
Katherine
K
Story
Mary
M
Ehlinger
Ed
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003132:Commerce; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012649:Self Concept; D013219:State Government; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*