Health risk behaviors of black male college students: seat belt use, smoking, and obesity status.
This paper examined health behaviors (seatbelt use, tobacco use, and obesity status) of 127 black male college students using data obtained from the National College Health Risk Behavior Survey. The majority of the participants were freshmen and sophomores (70%), full time students (95%), and lived on campus (85%). The results indicated that black males often failed to use seatbelts while riding as a passenger (69%) or driving (48%). Although 15% of the students smoked, 1/3 of the smokers began smoking during college. Approximately 50% of the students were overweight or obese; among students attempting to lose weight, exercise versus nutrient intake was used as a means to lose weight. The study recommendations included the need to increase educational efforts to alert black males to their risks for a premature death, and to provide programming/mentoring initiatives to assist males in dealing with stress and discrimination that may impact their health-related decision making. The implications of this study suggest that even educated black males are at risk for premature disease and disability as a result of their health behaviors.
North Carolina A & T State University, Department of Human Performance and Leisure Studies, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, USA. pbajibad@ncat.edu
Phoebe Butler
PB
Ajibade
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D015144:Southeastern United States; D013334:Students