The ACHA Nursing Section is hosting a networking and discussion session! Nurses from all sections are welcome to attend this event on Thursday, May 29, 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM, at the ACHA Annual Meeting in San Antonio! (Room to be announced). Not a member? That doesn’t matter – please join your fellow nurses to talk about current issues and practices in the college health nursing field!

The four main topics we will be discussing include:

• clinical nursing topics
• staffing, workflow, and personnel topics 
• college health nursing practice standards 
• flu vaccine programs and other immunizations for college-aged adults

Choose the best category for you. We will split into groups to discuss each issue. These discussions are intended to be informal and flexible, so if another topic strikes your fancy, that’s okay!

Each discussion category will be facilitated by a member of the Nursing Section, and we welcome all other attendees who would benefit from these discussions!

Come join your colleagues with your ideas and (more importantly) your breakfast! 

Improve the health of all students, staff, and faculty on college campus nationwide – an expansive goal that is the mission of Healthy Campus 2020. The 10-year national initiative to accomplish that goal reflects the major public health concerns that impact college students in the U.S.

In order to achieve any objective, your target audience needs to have an understanding of the health concern (knowledge) and want to change their behavior to get the desired effect (attitude).

When our target audience is college students, we can use many tools in our health communication toolbox to aid us in reaching an objective. No single tool can accomplish an objective, and we need a multifaceted approach to achieve behavior change. Some of the tools you already use to spread health messages might include social norming messages, collaboration with other departments, fliers, posters, workshops, events, campaigns, awareness weeks, movies, and/or outside speakers. 

Consider adding this tool to your toolbox: video. You can create your own videos at your health center, use videos created by other health organizations, or do both!

Why use video? 
College students want quick and easy access to information. The faster the information can be found and the easier it is to understand, the better. Pictures, charts, graphs, infographics, and videos can portray information in a quick, easy-to-comprehend format.

As we all know, and the data supports, college students are massive users of the internet. They make up a very large portion of social media users and, in particular, use video-sharing sites such as YouTube. According to the Pew Research Center Report on Video-Sharing, 92 percent of 18-29 year olds have used video sharing sites, and 47 percent have used those sites “yesterday.” With many of our students spending their time online using video sites, we have an opportunity to reach them with our health messages through video.   

How can college health centers nationwide use video to their advantage? Repackage traditional ways of presenting health information to students, add some out-of-the-box thinking, follow best practices, and create a video. Although creating a video takes knowledge, time, effort, and resources, a video’s ability to reach a large number of students is just one “share” away.  

Videos can be an additional tool to help achieve Healthy Campus 2020 student objectives. For example, one student objective is to reduce the proportion of students who report that their academic performance was adversely affected by cold/flu/sore throat in the past 12 months. Many college health centers and other health agencies used video to promote flu shots during flu season. Here are a few examples: 

• Flu – Coming To A Campus Near You by The University of New Hampshire Health Services
• UCF Singing Flu Shot Campaign and Debunking Myths About The Flu Shot by The University of Central Florida Health Services
• Wilbur and Wilma Get Their Flu Shots at Campus Health by The University of Arizona Campus Health Service
  
• CDC Flu Prevention Videos 
  
• WebMD Flu & Cold Prevention Video 
  

Video gives us the ability to repackage and reframe health messages into a format which better resonates with college students. Add this powerful tool to your health communication toolbox – and stay tuned for a future blog post with details of how various campuses have implemented videos.

By: M. Dolores Cimini, PhD, University at Albany, SUNY

We know from the research literature on college student alcohol use that target populations such as first-year students, student-athletes, fraternity and sorority members, students mandated for alcohol policy violations, and students seeking health and counseling care for concerns unrelated to their alcohol use are often at highest risk for alcohol abuse and related negative consequences…and they are less likely to seek intervention for these issues.

We also know that the research literature and best practice guidelines state unequivocally that engaging students in screening and brief intervention addressing their alcohol use is associated with reductions in consumption and related consequences as well as the increased use of protective behaviors.

Since 2006, UAlbany’s STEPS Comprehensive Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention Program, based on the BASICS model and designed to meet the distinct and complex needs of different kinds of students, has been delivering personalized feedback on alcohol use to each student who participates.

Some examples:

• Student-athletes are screened after team meetings, receiving information on alcohol use and athletic performance in their feedback profiles.
• First-year students participate in online screening within the first month of college, followed by a brief intervention that focuses on alcohol use as it relates to college adjustment. 
  

We are currently collecting data on the newest arm of our STEPS program designed for our fraternity and sorority members; here, we are focusing on factors such as alcohol use and fraternity and sorority reputation as well as the role of alcohol use in fraternity and sorority rituals. 

In the same way that we have worked to engage our students in alcohol screening and brief intervention, we have learned that it’s important to engage stakeholders, including service providers, coaches, advisors, first-year experience staff members, and faculty members, in the planning process and keep them informed of successes and challenges. Our stakeholders often underestimate their role in making a screening and brief intervention program successful, and they are always quite surprised and impressed to learn of the impact they have on our students. 

By 2009, when the program received the ACHA Best Practices in College Health Award, the program had reached more than 13,000 students. Four years later, our efforts are continuing to work: with more than 21,000 students screened for alcohol use to date, we have seen statistically significant reductions in alcohol use and associated negative consequences across each target population. 

Perhaps even more importantly, our students are providing positive feedback on the interventions. They appreciate how easily they can access and resonate with the issues that are on their minds.

For several years, ACHA has offered Pre-Conference Workshops on the first day of the Annual Meeting. Our general sessions are designed to meet a wider range of needs among our attendees – something for everyone, if you will, or at least everyone in a certain discipline. The workshops, however, are tailored to meet a more specialized need and give participants a chance to hone their skills in a more hands-on approach. 

Pre-conference workshops go beyond the lecture format and even the question-and-answer make-up of many sessions. There is an emphasis on interactivity as well as intense discussions, enabling attendees to really get at the meat of the matter and develop the specific competencies they need in their discipline. 

In the workshops, you won’t just learn how to do something – you’ll get to practice or discuss it before you take it home to your campus. What better way to be able to share your newly-acquired knowledge with colleagues who couldn't attend the Annual Meeting? 

You’ll get a crash course in effective leadership in the boot camps for health/counseling center and health promotion directors; you’ll practice some of the evidence-based approaches to enhancing students’ resilience to stress and trauma triggers; you’ll delve deep into examining best practices in prescribing contraceptives. These are just a few of the exciting topics being covered in the pre-conference workshops.

Visit the 2014 Annual Meeting site to see the full list of workshops and CE credits available.

Each workshop is three hours long and will take place on Tuesday, May 27 at either 9:00 am - 12:00 pm or 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm. You must pre-register and purchase a ticket ($50 per workshop) to attend the workshops. If you have already registered for the meeting and want to add a workshop, simply go back into the registration site, use the login information you used when you registered, and add the ticket. You can do this any time until May 9; after May 9, you can purchase tickets onsite if they are still available. Please note that the workshops sell out quickly, so reserve your spot today!

By: George Brown, University of Alabama, chair of the Engagement Subcommittee of the ACHA Healthy Campus Coalition and co-chair of the NIRSA Health and Wellbeing Commission 

Institutions of higher education across the country encourage students, faculty, staff, alumni, and even community members to attain and maintain health through facilities, programs, and services. Many institutions provide technologically-advanced state-of-the-art recreation and fitness facilities for cardio and strength and conditioning purposes as well as impressive aquatic centers and climbing/challenge course offerings. Convenient hours, safe and well-supervised equipment, and low costs all aid in attracting a wide variety of exercise and fitness enthusiasts.  

Encompassing More than Physical Wellbeing 

While exercise and fitness play a big role in campus recreation, these programs also impact their campus in further wellness dimensions. In fact, NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation (formerly the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association) recently created and recognized the Health and Wellbeing Commission as a core strategic value of their organization. NIRSA provides a vast array of resources for collegiate recreation departments seeking to maximize awareness and promote health and wellbeing in their campus communities. While recreation offerings on college and university campuses have long been associated with improving physical wellness (stronger bodies, improved muscular tone, increased cardiorespiratory endurance), the NIRSA Health and Wellbeing Commission is seeking to contribute to the dialog on the role and importance campus recreation plays in many other aspects of health.  
Outside of physical health, campus recreation resources also impacts:

• Social Wellbeing: Playing intramural and club sports on teams formed by affinity groups such as residence halls, fraternities, sororities, and faith-based organizations develops an appreciation for teamwork, cooperation, and sportsmanship. Being a part of a group promotes interactions that transcend the sport or activity, creating friendships and support groups.

• Emotional Wellbeing: Working out can provide healthy releases of stress and anxiety often associated with the pressures of college life. Physical activity can improve coping mechanisms that are often challenged in collegiate settings.

• Intellectual Wellbeing: Studies repeatedly show that study breaks – especially those that include physical activities and exercise – improve comprehension and retention of academic course material.

Involving Campus Recreation in Wellbeing Initiatives 

When institutions embark on health and wellbeing initiatives such as Healthy Campus or other campus-wide health programs, recreation departments are often asked to provide resources and expertise on physical wellness. Campus recreation staff and services can impact participants more broadly as well.  Recreation centers are high-traffic locations and are a good place to share/post health-related information such as smoking cessation programs, alcohol and other drug awareness campaigns, safe spring break alternatives, and stress reduction resources around final exams.

Recreation Promotion

Getting folks involved in recreation is easy. Many programs offer introductory fitness classes, individual and group personal training, and sports leagues that seek “free agents” who may not have established team connections. Do not let your campus community members be misled by the myth that they have to be a superstar athlete to participate. Today’s campus recreation departments offer something for everyone and provide a way to connect with others who share a desire to stay healthy and well. 

Visit your campus recreation facility today to learn more, participate, and connect on campus-wide health and wellness initiatives!

We are so pleased to announce that registration for the ACHA 2014 Annual Meeting has begun! We encourage you to register early – hotel rooms can go fast, and you’ll need to register before you can reserve a room at the discounted rate. Though this may seem like just one more step in the registration process, it helps us preserve rooms in our room block for those who have already registered and committed themselves to attending.

Since our founding in 1920, ACHA’s meetings have been a way for college health professionals to meet in person and catch up on the latest college health trends and practices. Even with today’s technology making it possible to have online meetings with colleagues from near and far, without ever leaving your office, there’s simply no substitute for meeting face to face.

The other great thing about attending a meeting is the charge in the air at these conferences. It’s an amazing thing when 2,000 energized, passionate people sharing the same goal – enhancing the wellness of their campus communities – come together. Our attendees are there to learn from one another and perhaps flip their old ways of thinking on end and come away with new ones. You can feel the excitement brewing and there’s a buzz in the air.

We really hope you’ll join us this year. We have lots of great sessions scheduled as well as some fun events and activities to help you recharge and meet other attendees!

Stay tuned for more posts that will cover featured events, programming, and other things to do in San Antonio. In the meantime, check out these conference FAQs.

By: Stacy Andes, Villanova University, and Tavis Glassman, University of Toledo

The American College Health Association’s Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Coalition (ACHA ATOD) focuses on substance abuse prevention and treatment specific to the college student population. An issue of increasing concern for the coalition involves non-medical prescription drug use (NMPDU). Although its prevalence ranks a distant fourth to alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use on college and university campuses, non-medical use of prescription drugs far exceeds other illicit drug use. Of particular concern is the link between NMPDU and the use of other drugs, often in combination, which poses additional risks for students today.

For the purposes of this blog, non-medical prescription drug use is generally defined as the use of a prescription medication:

• For anything other than its intended purpose;
• By someone other than the person to whom it is prescribed; or
• In a dosage other than prescribed.

This definition applies to the illicit user as well as to the prescribed user who is not using the medication as prescribed.

Scope of the Problem
Non-medical prescription drug use is a problem throughout the United States and has been classified as an epidemic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, it is important for colleges and universities to assess the extent of use on their respective campuses. In the earliest studies, rates of non-medical prescription stimulant use on our Nation’s campuses were reported to range from 0 to 25 percent,1 and trend data between 1993 and 2005 alerted the public health community to rate increases between 93 percent and 450 percent across various prescription drugs (e.g., stimulants, painkillers, sedatives, and tranquilizers).2

In most cases, reported use rates on campuses around the country from 2008-2012 are less than 10 percent for any prescription drug category (e.g., painkillers and stimulants) and, in some instances, less than 5 percent (antidepressants, sedatives, and erectile dysfunction drugs) for past year use.3 These trends are consistent with results from both the Monitoring the Future survey4 and in ongoing longitudinal studies in the Northeast5 and Midwest.6 Nonetheless, these rates are unacceptably high, and campus officials may be unaware of the potential consequences of NMPDU, which can include drug-related emergency room visits, sexual assault, violent behavior, and academic misconduct (e.g., use of prescription drugs to improve test scores).

Guiding Comments and Recommendations

• Link NMPDU with alcohol use. College health professionals and other campus officials are only beginning to understand who is at risk for NMPDU. Institutions of higher education with advanced admissions standards located in the Northeast demonstrate disproportionately high rates of non-medical prescription stimulant use.1 Additionally, studies have consistently found that white, male, Greek-affiliated students are at the greatest risk.1,7,8,9 This profile is similar to that of individuals with a higher risk for alcohol use, as drinking and drug-use behaviors are highly correlated.10 College health professionals, therefore, should consider utilizing evidence-based practices that target high-risk alcohol use (e.g., brief motivational interviewing) to also address NMPDU.
  

• Increase perceived harmfulness. As with alcohol use, college students generally perceive NMPDU as relatively harmless. In one study,11 40 percent of students assigned only moderate risk to non-medical use of prescription stimulants (e.g., Adderall®) and analgesics (e.g., Vicodin®). Compounding the problem is that many students suffer from “optimistic bias,” mistakenly believing that the negative consequences associated with drug use happen to others and not themselves. Because prescription medications are produced legally and distributed through doctors, students often perceive them as safer than illicit drugs, further reducing the stigma associated with their use. College health professionals should consider increasing students’ awareness and assessment of the harm associated with non-medical prescription drug use through their social marketing and educational outreach efforts.12
  

• Leverage the prescribed user. Research shows that the prescribed user, under medical supervision, demonstrates the same risk as the average college student for illicit drug use. However, prescribed users who overuse and non-medical users both exhibit a much greater risk for illicit drug use.13 College health professionals should educate students in the appropriate use of prescription drugs and work to build their confidence in managing requests (from friends or other students, for example) to share or sell their medication.
  

• Utilize social norms marketing. Research indicates college students and others grossly overestimate the extent of non-medical prescription drug use.12 For instance, students may think that 75 percent of their peers use Adderall® non-medically, when in fact fewer than 10 percent do. Correcting these misperceptions may result in decreased NMPDU.
  

• Work with local partners. Because alcohol and other drug use impacts both the campus and the surrounding community, colleges and universities should seek to engage and work closely with local partners – healthcare providers, pharmacies, merchants, and law enforcement, to name a few. While many students obtain prescription medications from their peers for free, we also know that students are “doctor shopping” and selling medications to other students.4 Reducing access in the community can also help to reduce access on campus.12
  

Coalition and Related Reports
The ACHA ATOD Coalition provides resources related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention as well as evidence-based intervention strategies. A number of resources are currently available on the ACHA ATOD Coalition webpage, including the Non-Medical Prescription Drug Use Toolkit for Health Promotion Professionals and links to national data sources on ATOD issues on college and university campuses.

Latest data reveals internet interest in beer pong may be on the decline and is certainly down from a peak in August 2009. According to Google Trends, a free online tool that displays the relative interest in online search terms, the trend for the term "beer pong" (combined with similar terms such as "beer pong table" and "beer pong rules") has not received as much interest after peaking several years ago. While online search interest appears to fluctuate over time, the current interest is hovering around 60 percent of the 2009 peak- a range not seen since around 2005-2006.

It's interesting to note that interest seems to spike each summer. Perhaps these searches are coming from first-year college students looking up rules to the game, learning more about it before heading off to school, or concerned parents. 

Does this mean the most popular college drinking game is on the decline? Not necessarily. Just because people aren't searching for beer pong as frequently, doesn't mean college students have stopped playing. In fact, the Google Trends data probably has more to do with mainstream reporting on beer pong than it does with actual drinking rates.

The search term peaks in 2008 and 2009 could be explained by the increase in the number of popular news articles on the subject. Here are some headlines that could have contributed to the beer pong buzz:

• The War on Beer Pong - This TIME Magazine article from July 31, 2008, mentions a Nintendo Wii game called "Beer Pong" that was causing a lot of controversy at the time. 
• Introducing the next great American pastime: beer pong - This ESPN The Magazine article from January 14, 2008, describes the increasing popularity of beer pong tournaments and national championships. 

In my opinion, beer pong isn't seen as something new or underground anymore; it's become a mainstream part of the college drinking environment. With beer pong online and video games and countless references in movies and YouTube videos, beer pong is probably less exciting and mysterious to high school students. To illustrate my point, check out the Google Trends for the search term "smoking alcohol." The sudden spike in June 2013 is likely the result of the media catching wind of a dangerous new craze, but that doesn't mean everyone is doing it. It's new and different and interesting – hence, the surge in online searches.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is a group of medical and public health experts that develops vaccine recommendations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses these recommendations to develop vaccine schedules that include the target age, number of doses, and dose interval. The recommendations are the cornerstone of prevention in U.S. health care. 

ACHA is one of 30 professional organizations with an official liaison to the ACIP. As the ACHA representative, I am charged with providing input regarding the impact of ACIP recommendations in the college health setting, and I attended the most recent ACIP meeting at CDC in Atlanta this past October. At this meeting – one of three held each year – the committee discussed vaccine research, safety, and supply, among other things.

Here are some of the topics that were addressed by the ACIP at its October meeting:

Meningococcal vaccine back in the news: The ACIP voted to recommend use of quadrivalent vaccine MenACWY CRM in infants (aged 2-23 months) at increased risk meningococcal disease. The vaccine protects against meningitis serogroups A, C, W, and Y. This is the first quadrivalent vaccine for meningitis that the FDA has approved for use in infants under six months. It may also be used for healthy infants prior to travel to countries in which meningococcal disease is epidemic. This is the same conjugated meningitis vaccine used in the adolescent and college age population.

Pertussis vaccine supply: All pertussis-containing vaccines have been in short supply, and although shipping has resumed, availability will remain somewhat low over the next several months. Follow vaccine shortages here.

Influenza: Influenza activity in the U.S. is currently minimal, so there’s still time to get our students immunized. The most successful approach? One study showed that 71% got the flu vaccine if a provider both recommended and offered the vaccine in the same visit. Last year showed important increases in flu vaccines coverage in adults over 18 and all health professionals. Follow flu activity this season here.

The next meeting will be in February 2014. Some of the topics on the agenda:

MMWR “General Recommendations on Immunization”: This document will contain important updates in vaccine administration, use of multi-dose vials, and safety engineered syringes.  

ACIP Statement on HPV Vaccine: ACIP is working on providing further guidance on the HPV vaccine to address the low uptake in adolescents compared to other vaccines that are given at this age. Part of the problem has been that parents may regard the HPV vaccine as a gateway to sex and not the cancer-prevention strategy that it really is. In the meantime, have you seen CDC’s Tips and Time-savers for Talking with Parents About HPV Vaccine? 

CDC’s Updated Immunization Schedules: Updates to the vaccine schedule are released each February schedule. ACHA’s Recommendations for Institutional Prematriculation Immunizations will also be updated to reflect the new schedule and recommendations on vaccines for college students. 

Minutes and presentation slides from ACIP meetings can be found here. 

The American College Health Foundation supports the mission of student health services and the institutions they serve by funding innovative, creative health and wellness programs and initiatives. Some of these projects and activities would not otherwise be funded through traditional revenue sources, and that’s where ACHF steps in. 

ACHF now provides seven awards and one writing prize on an annual basis. Four of these will be offered for the first time in 2014. Together, the awards provide funding for projects focusing on healthy education, behavioral and mental health issues, wellness solutions, and innovative practices in college health (including culturally competent practices and initiatives to help implement the goals of Healthy Campus 2020).  

Could any of these awards help support a program at your institution?

NEW! Aetna Student Health Award – $5,000 award to support the creation of novel wellness solutions and programs that address issues specifically related to the overall well-being of college students 

Gallagher Koster Innovative Practices in College Health Awards – two awards of $2,500 each to support the development of innovative practices that improve access to quality health care for students

NEW! Healthy Campus 2020 Award – $2,500 award to support campus initiatives to implement the goals of Healthy Campus 2020 

NEW! Stephan D. Weiss Student Mental Health Award – $2,500 award to promote and improve the quality of mental health support for college students (available to undergrad or graduate student applicants enrolled at ACHA member institutions)

NEW! Student Health 101 Award – $2,500 award to support new efforts to improve and promote health education programs on college campuses

UnitedHealthcare StudentResources Initiatives in College Mental and Behavioral Health Award – $5,000 award to support the development of creative solutions and programs to address issues specifically related to mental and behavioral health issues affecting college students

Stephan D. Weiss, PhD Mental Health Fund for Higher Education Writing Prize – $1,500 prize for the lead author of a pivotal publication in college mental health

It’s important to note that until recently, ACHF funding opportunities were referred to as grants. It was brought to our attention that some institutions require applicants who are applying for grant funding to complete lengthy internal documentation.

This process takes up a considerable amount of time, and time is something busy college health professionals don’t have much of. To make the application process less cumbersome, the term has now been changed to “awards,” but the program is otherwise unchanged – except for the addition of four new awards, of course! We hope that by making this change, many more deserving applicants will be able to apply for ACHF funding.

These awards are available exclusively to ACHA members or college health professionals at a member institution. The Weiss Student Mental Health Award is available only to student applicants. 

For more information on specific awards, visit “How to Apply for Funding, Awards, and the Weiss Writing Prize.” Be sure to submit your applications by January 31, 2014!