U.S. postsecondary students' health and academic outcomes: A comprehensive scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between postsecondary students' health and academic outcomes may have important implications for their collegiate experience and their future prospects. Yet a comprehensive summary of the evidence examining this potential connection does not presently exist. Seeking to fill this gap, this study reviewed the extant literature on postsecondary students' academic outcomes and health across multiple domains. METHODS: Using an established methodological framework, a scoping review was conducted to identify and summarize the attributes of all peer-reviewed research performed in the U.S. and published between 2008 and 2019 that examined the relationship between postsecondary students' health and academic outcomes. RESULTS: The search strategy resulted in 12,488 articles. After deduplication, initial screening, and full review of relevant articles to determine eligibility, 264 articles were included in the final review. The most frequently examined health domains were mental health and substance use. Grade point average (GPA) was the most common academic measure investigated. Most studies took place at single institutions among undergraduate students, and several studies focused on specific student sub-populations. Almost all study results indicated that healthier behavior or optimal health status was associated with better academic outcomes or did not negatively impact academic success. CONCLUSIONS: This study serves as a first step in understanding the scope of existing research examining the connection between postsecondary students' health and academic outcomes. A substantial literature base was found; however, several gaps were identified including the need for more cohort studies, national studies, examination of graduate students, and a focus on academic outcomes beyond GPA.

Protection Motivation Theory and Intentions to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine.

Background. Declared a "public health threat of international concern" by the World Health Organization, the COVID-19 virus has caused the deaths of over half a million individuals in the United States in just the first 23 months after detection. The vaccine has recently been introduced to reduce this public health threat. However, due, in part, to the rapidity with which the vaccine was developed, many individuals display vaccine hesitancy. Purpose. The current study examined the utility of the Protection Motivation Theory of Health (PMT) in predicting intentions to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Method. One hundred twenty-nine unvaccinated respondents (drawn from an initial sample of 255 participants) completed a survey assessing the components of the PMT and intentions to receive the vaccine. Respondents could also provide an open-ended response regarding any concerns they had with the vaccine. Conclusions. The PMT accounted for 76% of the variance in vaccine intentions. Vulnerability, outcome efficaciousness, and maladaptive response rewards each accounted for unique variance. Open-ended responses reflecting concerns with the vaccine fell into 8 categories, with the most common being concern with the long-term side effects of the vaccine. These results suggest that public health campaigns promoting the vaccine should focus on vulnerability to COVID-19, protective functions of the vaccine, and overcoming what people perceive as benefits of not receiving the vaccine.