Psychological Reasons Why College Students Avoid Healthcare
Faculty Mentor Information
Brian Stone Ph.D.
Abstract
There are roughly 20 million college students in America, and despite medical issues ranging from sniffles to sexually transmitted infections these students still have to attend class, complete homework, and take tests. This population may avoid healthcare for a variety of reasons relating to their status as students, such as balancing school work and scholarly obligations, social stigma, availability of insurance, or privacy concerns. The consequences when students avoid healthcare affect the individual students but also may lead to the spread of transmissible infections. This study was an exploratory analysis to identify and understand the factors resulting in healthcare avoidance in college students. 270 students enrolled in Psychology 101 at Boise State University completed a multiple-choice survey regarding their healthcare behaviors. Statistically significant findings were discovered when comparing male and female students, or the students’ health insurance coverage, and the tendency to avoid medical and mental healthcare services.
Psychological Reasons Why College Students Avoid Healthcare
There are roughly 20 million college students in America, and despite medical issues ranging from sniffles to sexually transmitted infections these students still have to attend class, complete homework, and take tests. This population may avoid healthcare for a variety of reasons relating to their status as students, such as balancing school work and scholarly obligations, social stigma, availability of insurance, or privacy concerns. The consequences when students avoid healthcare affect the individual students but also may lead to the spread of transmissible infections. This study was an exploratory analysis to identify and understand the factors resulting in healthcare avoidance in college students. 270 students enrolled in Psychology 101 at Boise State University completed a multiple-choice survey regarding their healthcare behaviors. Statistically significant findings were discovered when comparing male and female students, or the students’ health insurance coverage, and the tendency to avoid medical and mental healthcare services.