Dissertation Abstract

The Effect of Health Education at the Postsecondary Level on The Reduction of Health Risk Behaviors.

This research study was conducted with university students to provide answers to the following questions: (1) Will university students who enrolled in a personal health course show differences in the level of health risk behaviors, as measured by the Confidential Health Profile for Adults, from students who are not enrolled in the course? (2) Will the students who were made aware of existing health risk behaviors by a personal computerized analysis, without formal health instruction, show differences in the level of health risk behaviors, as measured by the Confidential Health Profile for Adults, from students who received no instruction or analysis? (3) Will the students who participated in the personal health course show differences in the level of health risk behaviors three months after the treatment? (4) Will the students who received only the computerized life style analysis show differences in the level of health risk behaviors three months after the treatment?

The sample population consisted of 68 University of Central Florida students who were enrolled Fall Term 1981. Twenty-four students in experimental group one voluntarily enrolled in a personal health course, Medical Self Assessment. This group received 45 hours of personal health instruction. Instructional methodologies revolved around normative, re-educative change strategies such as change contracts, group discussion and self-awareness exercises. Experimental group two consisted of 33 students enrolled in a speech course which met at the same time as the personal health course. These students received a computerized analysis of their life style which identified existing health risk behaviors. No formal health instruction was given. The control group consisted of 22 students enrolled in a separate speech class which met at the same time as the personal health course. Pretreatment, posttreatment and three months delayed posttreatment measures were taken on each group using the Confidential Health Profile for Adults. Multivariate analysis of composite health risk scores, life change units, locus of control, health ranking, weight, systolic and diastolic pressures were employed to evaluate the data.

Although there were no significant differences (.01 level of significance) in composite health risk scores for the treatment group, there were notable trends in specific health behavior categories: weight reduction, increased exercise and reduction of cigarette smoking.

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