title: Health educator believability and college student self-rated health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the self-rated health (SRH) status among college students who reported receiving the majority of their health-related information from health educators.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students (n = 49,921) who completed the 2006 National College Health Association survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bivariate associations between SRH and the believability of health information received were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression tested the relationship after covariate adjustment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although a modest correlation (r = .06, p < .0001) existed between the variables, SRH declined as the believability of health information received from health educators ratings became increasingly unfavorable (χ(2) = 110.96, p < .0001). After covariate adjustment, the relationship persisted with increased odds of reporting fair/poor health for those who reported the health information received from health educators as "neutral" (odds ratio [OR] = 1.31) or "unbelievable" (OR = 2.25) when compared to those who reported the health information received as "believable" (p < .0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The field of health education, and health educators, may positively influence college student SRH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-9190, USA. kzullig@hsc.wvu.edu
authors.forename: Keith J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Zullig
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reger-Nash
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Valois
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000592:standards*; D003625:Data Collection; D040441:Health Educators / Q000592:standards*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D057566:Self Report; D013334:Students; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities