Top five health issues concerning college students

Health concerns for college students are growing
By: Angela Brantley
Health Beat

LONG BEACH, Calif. (March 19, 2007) - Research from academic databases through Cal State University Library identifies five concerns among college students regarding their health: alcohol abuse, mental disorders, eating disorders, health care costs and sexually transmitted diseases.

In regard to the first issue, alcohol abuse, author Jennifer Jordan reported in the Providence Journal that the University of Providence rushed 51 students to the hospital as a result of binge drinking since their fall semester; forty-three of those students were freshmen and sophomores.

PR Newswire gave current statistics, from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, indicating that drinking by college students also accounts for 1,700 student deaths, 599,000 injuries and 97,000 cases of sexual assault in the United States.

The second concern, mental disorders, is also evident in many universities. Suicide, due to mental disorders, is the second leading cause of death for college students, according to Christian Newswire.

The University of Michigan recognizes this concern and created the Fifth Annual Depression on College Campuses conference; this conference was created by experts to inform students about depression and how to treat it, according to Christian Newswire.

The third concern is eating disorders. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, 10 million women and 1 million men in the United States suffer from eating disorders; ninety-percent of these people are between the ages of 12 and 25, reported Christine Dell’Amore. College students are not being treated for eating disorders and are being disregarded. “We’re not getting people the help the (need), and that should be setting the alarms off on college campuses,” said Lynn Grete, CEO of NEDA.

The lack of health care for college students is the fourth concern. Students entering into college are left with few options regarding to health insurance. Many students “go bare” or rely on their parents’ coverage as a dependant; although, many plans have age-based cut-offs for dependent by age 19 or 23, according to Aetna online.

In regard to the last issue, sexually transmitted diseases, Bear River Health Department accounts for 67 percent of their STD clients to college students reported Amy Sue Heaton. Bear River District has also reported 15 infections of HIV and 41 cases of AIDS in the past year alone stated Heaton.