College Students Opinions on Gun Violence.

Gun violence and control issues have become serious public health problems. This study gathered the opinions from 419 college students from a Midwestern University. Participants were asked about beliefs about purchasing assault weapons, beliefs about bringing handguns to college campuses and beliefs about contributing factors that lead to gun violence. Participants completed surveys online. The findings showed that overall 54 % of respondents believed that military assault weapons should be banned and 53 % agree that teachers should be allowed to carry a registered handgun on campus. There were statistically significant differences between males and females on these issues. For instance, females believed military assault weapons and high capacity magazines should be banned more than 1.9 times (p = .004) p < .05 compared to male students. On the other hand, female students were more likely to believe that school teachers should be allowed to carry registered handguns on school campuses more than 1.55 times (p = .046) p < .05 compared to their male student counterparts. There were no statistically significant differences between ethnic groups. The top four contributing factors that students believed led to gun violence were decline in parenting and family values (17 %), gang involvement (14 %), bullying (13.8 %) and guns being easy to obtain (13.8 %). Limitations and implications for policy work are discussed.

Perceived stress, substance use, and mental health issues among college students in the Midwest.

Perceived stress and mental health on college campuses is a major concern. College students are under a tremendous strain. This study was designed to measure the perceived stress among Whites and Nonwhites using the Perceived Stress Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised, Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) and other behavioral indicators (diet and nutrition) to determine the overall well-being of college students. College students attending a mid-sized University in the Midwest completed an 80 item online survey. The results showed that thirty-six percent of the sample displayed depressive symptoms, 10% of the respondents endorsed high perceived stress and 56% reported experiencing moderate stress levels. Females had higher levels of perceived stress than males and Whites displayed statistically significant lower depression scores than Nonwhites although Whites displayed significantly higher mean scores on the CES-D-R depression scores than Nonwhites. Overall, fruit intake of college students was as an indication of poor diet and nutrition among college students because they were not eating fruit in their diets prior to taking the survey. Limitations and future directions will be explored.

Youth empowerment implementation project evaluation results: A program designed to improve the health and well-being of low-income African-American adolescents.

Adolescent obesity is a major health issue facing today's youth. This may be the first generation to have a lower life expectancy than their parents. The Youth Empowerment Implementation Project's (YEIP) goal was to increase fruit and vegetable intake, lower junk food consumption, and increase physical activity among low-income African-American youth living in the Midwest. Thirty middle school aged youth participated in an evidenced-based program (i.e., Botvin's Life Skills Training) and were engaged in health education and physical activities. The results from baseline to follow-up demonstrated a reduction in junk food intake for participants and an increase in fruit and vegetable intake but not for physical activity. The health behaviors of participants improved for three out of four indicators following the intervention. Limitations, future research, and implications for future programs are also discussed.

The power of aspirations and expectations: the connection between educational goals and risk behaviors among African American adolescents.

Numerous studies and interventions have been designed to either reduce the prevalence of risky behaviors (substance use, sexual activity, etc.) or increase the level of educational activity for adolescents. Research suggests that these two constructs may be related yet little is known about this relationship among African American youth. Archival data from the Risk Reduction Project was used to explore the connection between the protective factors of educational aspirations/expectations and recent participation in risky behavior. Results suggest that recent use of marijuana, alcohol to the point of intoxication, and sexual activity predicted lower aspirations and expectations among African American youth. From a positive youth development perspective, this study suggests the development of holistic interventions that build educational assets in youth, in addition to working to minimize risk behaviors. Limitations and suggestions for future research are also discussed.