WINTER 1999
Volume 42, Number 2

IN THIS ISSUE

Stretching the Dollars to Update Technology

'Dear Mom...'

What We Need

Sweating out the Tryouts

Changing Binge Drinking

Health Iowa

Students First Rx

Plenty of Choices

Squandered Opportunities

Parent Times Briefs

Calendar

  The Student Health Service believes that prevention is as integral a component to students' health as the treatment of illness. Since 1983, the Health Iowa educational branch of the Student Health Service has been providing health education services to University of Iowa students.

Over the years, there have been several consistent themes in Health Iowa's programming­alcohol, nutrition, fitness, stress, and sexual health. The staff includes two certified health education specialists, substance abuse counselor, a part-time dietitian, a part-time fitness specialist, graduate assistants, and support staff.

In an effort to follow the trends of student concerns regarding health practices and behaviors, Health Iowa conducts a survey every other year. The Health Interests and Practices survey tracks behavioral trends, such as drinking, smoking, nutrition, fitness, and sexual health issues, allowing staff to find out which health topics students are most interested in learning about.

"In our latest survey, students indicated they were most interested in learning ways to reduce the stress in their lives," says Pat Ketcham, Director of Health Iowa. "Based on this feedback, we have expanded our stress management and reduction offerings to students to include more workshops on time management, one-on-one consultations, and other measures."

The students at The University of Iowa are not unlike students at other colleges and universities across the nation, she says. "Many students view college as a time to express their independence. Students also find it is a time in their lives when they are faced with making many decisions not only regarding their career choices, but those that help them define who they are. Many students face difficult decisions regarding how much they should drink, when they should drink, how much sleep they really need, and if they don't smoke, should they start. Many of these decisions are driven by social influence and students' perceived need to fit in. Most students make good decisions regarding their behaviors," Ketcham says.

To help facilitate healthy decision-making, a World Wide Web site allows students to get information and ask questions anonymously. Health Iowa and/or Student Health Service health care providers answer students' questions. The responses are posted on the website so others with similar questions will be able to access the answers.

Some recent questions from students: "...I feel like I'm ready to burst. Can someone have too much anxiety? What can I do?" and "Once again I've put things off all semester and am now panicking about the amount of work I have to do before finals....Things always seem to work out in the end, but I'm getting tired of this lifestyle. How can I get out of this cycle?" Other students asked what was wrong with binge drinking, and whether cigars are safer than cigarettes (the answer was no).

Each semester a large Health Fair in the Field House lets students get their blood pressure, body fat level, and cholesterol levels tested, see how fit they are, and learn about smoking cessation, nutrition, family planning, stress, alcohol and drugs, and how to measure their health risks.

At a recent fair, freshman Scott Farrow was at the body fat analysis table. The process involved determining age, weight, and wrist measurement (to determine frame size). Then a machine measurement showed that he had a good, healthy percentage of body fat.

"That's great," he told Ali Payne, a health promotion major, who administered the test. "I lift weights and I keep track of how I'm doing. Since I came to college I've been wondering about whether it had increased or decreased."

Nearby, Shasta Scarff, a senior from Mt. Pleasant, was waiting to administer fitness tests. "We measure flexibility by seeing how far they can reach from a sitting position; stress by administering a YMCA step test to a cadence of 96 steps per minute and then measuring heart rate; and strength through a grip test. I'm doing an education practicum right now, so I'm helping at this fair as part of it."

-By Anne Tanner

Pat Ketcham, Director of Health Iowa

Health fairs are a chance to get blood pressure tested (above) and see if smoking has lessened lung capacity (below).