title: Not all developmental assets are related to positive health outcomes in college students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this investigation was to model the relationships between developmental assets, life satisfaction, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among a stratified, random sample (n = 765, 56% response rate) of college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structural equation modeling techniques were employed to test the relationships using Mplus v4.21; Model evaluations were based on 1) theoretical salience, 2) global fit indices (chi-square goodness of fit, comparative fit index: CFI and Tucker-Lewis Index: TLI), 3) microfit indices (parameter estimates, root mean squared error of approximation: RMSEA and residuals) and 4) parsimony.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The model fit the data well: χ2(n = 581, 515) = 1252.23, CFI = .94, TLI = .93 and RMSEA = .05. First, participants who reported increased Family Communication also reported higher levels of life satisfaction. Second, as participants reported having more Non-Parental Role Models, life satisfaction decreased and poor mental HRQOL days increased. Finally increased Future Aspirations was related to increased poor mental HRQOL days. Results were variant across gender.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preliminary results suggest not all developmental assets are related to positive health outcomes among college students, particularly mental health outcomes. While the findings for Family Communication were expected, the findings for Non-Parental Role Models suggest interactions with potential role models in college settings may be naturally less supportive. Future Aspirations findings suggest college students may harbor a greater temporal urgency for the rigors of an increasingly competitive work world. In both cases, these assets appear associated with increased poor mental HRQOL days.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA. kzullig@hsc.wvu.edu
authors.forename: Keith J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Zullig
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Teoli
authors.forename: Rose Marie
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D015146:Midwestern United States; D010379:Peer Group; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D029181:Spirituality; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult