TY - JOUR
T1 - The association between mental health and acute infectious illness among a national sample of 18- to 24-year-old college students
AU - Adams, Troy B.
AU - Wharton, Christopher
AU - Quilter, Lyndsay
AU - Hirsch, Tiffany
PY - 2008/1/1
Y1 - 2008/1/1
N2 - Poor mental health is associated with physical illness, but this association is poorly characterized among college students. Objective and Participants: Using American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment data, the authors characterized poor mental health (depression, anxiety, negative affect) and examined the relationship between poor mental health and acute infectious illnesses (bronchitis, ear infection, sinusitis, strep throat) among 47,202 US college students. Methods: The authors used frequency and cross-tabulation analyses to characterize mental health and determine univariate associations among variables. They used binary logistic regression to determine the association between poor mental health and acute infectious illness, controlling for research-derived covariates. Results: The prevalence of acute infectious illness ranged from 8% to 29%. The prevalence of anxiety and depression ranged from 12% to 20%, respectively. Depression, anxiety, and exhaustion were associated with acute infectious illness across all dependent measures, with odds ratios ranging from .56 to .91. Conclusions: Poor mental health is associated with acute infectious illness among college students.
AB - Poor mental health is associated with physical illness, but this association is poorly characterized among college students. Objective and Participants: Using American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment data, the authors characterized poor mental health (depression, anxiety, negative affect) and examined the relationship between poor mental health and acute infectious illnesses (bronchitis, ear infection, sinusitis, strep throat) among 47,202 US college students. Methods: The authors used frequency and cross-tabulation analyses to characterize mental health and determine univariate associations among variables. They used binary logistic regression to determine the association between poor mental health and acute infectious illness, controlling for research-derived covariates. Results: The prevalence of acute infectious illness ranged from 8% to 29%. The prevalence of anxiety and depression ranged from 12% to 20%, respectively. Depression, anxiety, and exhaustion were associated with acute infectious illness across all dependent measures, with odds ratios ranging from .56 to .91. Conclusions: Poor mental health is associated with acute infectious illness among college students.
KW - Anxiety
KW - College students
KW - Depression
KW - Infectious illness
KW - Negative affect
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U2 - 10.3200/JACH.56.6.657-664
DO - 10.3200/JACH.56.6.657-664
M3 - Article
C2 - 18477521
AN - SCOPUS:44649195566
SN - 0744-8481
VL - 56
SP - 657
EP - 664
JO - Journal of American College Health
JF - Journal of American College Health
IS - 6
ER -