College Health and Safety
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College is full of excitement, including meeting new people, learning new things, possibly living away from home, and making your own decisions. But college can also be stressful as you develop new routines, live on a limited budget, and face new opportunities. It can be challenging to juggle responsibilities like attending class, studying long hours, having a social life, working, and staying safe and healthy. The college years are a time of change that brings new challenges, risks, and responsibilities.
Below are health and safety tips, issues, action steps, and hotlines to help you stay safe and healthy in college.
Health and Safety Tips
Your health habits today can affect your health in the future. Even if your habits haven’t been so great in the past, this is a great time to develop new habits that will help you be strong and healthy through your college years and beyond.
Develop friendships.
Consider participating in campus activities with other students who have similar interests. Extracurricular activities do not necessarily have to relate to your major. Join a college band, write for the school newspaper, volunteer, or do something else that is fun, helps you meet new people, and gives you the opportunity to express yourself.
Get regular physical activity.
Even if you have a busy schedule, there are quick, easy exercises you can fit into your day. Get at least 30 minutes of exercise at one time or in shorter sessions most days of the week. Find something you enjoy, such as brisk walking, jogging, climbing stairs, dancing, or other activity.
Physical Activity for Everyone
Eat a balanced diet.
If you are concerned that you are overweight or underweight, talk with your health care provider about how to lose or gain weight safely. Fruits and vegetables are a natural source of energy and are one of the best eat-on-the-go foods. Be sure to eat regular healthy meals to help you maintain your energy level.
Get Smart with Fruits and Veggies
Think positively.
We are often much harder on ourselves in our “self-talk” than we are when speaking with others. Our tendency to be needlessly self-critical can foster unnecessary distress. But different approaches are available to help handle this. Work with teachers, counselors, family, friends, and others to address concerns about studying, test-taking, and other issues.
Get vaccinated.
Vaccinations help prevent diseases and save lives. Be sure to ask your health care provider about getting vaccinated for meningitis, human papillomavirus (HPV), tetanus, flu, and other diseases.
Vaccines and
Immunizations: College Students and Young Adults
Vaccines Needed by
Teens and College Students
Get check-ups.
Find a health care provider at your school or local health clinic for routine check-ups and concerns you may have about your health. Check-ups can help ensure you stay healthy and can help identify and correct problems early. They can also give you the opportunity to get to know your health care provider should you have a health problem later in the school year.
Regular Check-Ups are Important
Health and Safety Issues
Below are a few health and safety issues you may face while at college and some action steps you can take to help protect yourself.
Eating Disorders and Diet Changes
Your eating habits may change once you’re in college, and you may gain or lose weight. College cafeterias, buffets, and easy access to food 24 hours a day make it tempting to overeat or not make the healthiest food choices. On the other hand, you may not eat enough because of stress, lack of money, or other reasons.
Eating disorders are serious medical problems. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder are all types of eating disorders. Eating disorders frequently develop during adolescence or early adulthood, but can occur during childhood or later in adulthood. Females are more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. Eating disorders are more than just a problem with food.
Action Steps
- Determine if your eating habits could be improved. Visit a health clinic or talk to a nutritionist or dietitian about ways to improve your diet.
- If you or someone you know is showing signs of an eating disorder, get help. If you suspect a friend has an eating disorder, tell him or her about your concerns. Ask him or her to talk to a counselor or doctor who knows about eating issues, and offer to go along to the appointment. Let your friend know you are there for him or her.
- Talk to someone you can trust, such as a parent, doctor, counselor, religious leader, or teacher.
Eating Disorders (HHS)
Fatigue and Sleep Deprivation
Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and depression. Students who are working or studying long hours often experience episodes of sleep deprivation. This can cause daytime sleepiness, sluggishness, and difficulty concentrating or making decisions. Teens and young adults who do not get enough sleep are at risk for problems, such as automobile crashes; poor grades and school performance; depressed moods; and problems with friends, fellow students, and adult relationships. Eating well, being physically active, and getting a good night’s sleep is vital to your well-being.
Action Steps
- Review your class, work, study, and play schedule. See what changes need to be made to ensure you get eight hours of sleep each night.
- Avoid stimulants like caffeine and nicotine. The stimulating effects of caffeine in coffee, colas, teas, and chocolate can take as long as 8 hours to wear off fully.
- Have a good sleeping environment. Get rid of anything that might distract you from sleep, such as noises or bright lights.
- Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day- even on the weekends.
- See your health provider if you continue to have trouble sleeping.
Your Guide to Healthy Sleep
(NIH)
Mental Health: Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
Everybody has the blues, feels anxious, loses interest in enjoyable activities, or gets stressed sometimes, but when it continues for a long time or interferes with daily activities, it may be more serious.
Stress is the body's response to any demand or pressure. These demands are called stressors. When stressors in your life are constant, it can take a tool on your mental and physical health.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps you deal with a tense situation, study harder for an exam, or keep focused on an important speech. However, if you cannot shake unwarranted worries, or if the feelings are jarring to the point of avoiding everyday activities, you may have an anxiety disorder.
Depression is very different from the occasional blues. About 18.8 million Americans experience depressive disorders that affect how they sleep, eat, feel about themselves, and live their lives. Depression can run in families, and it usually starts between the ages of 15 and 30. Depression has physical and emotional symptoms and cannot be wished away; people with depression can't just "pull themselves together." There are different types of depressive disorders, each with its own symptoms and treatment options. The good news is that depression can be treated, and people can recover.
Action Steps
- Stay active. Regular physical activity improves one’s mood, helps relieve depression, and increases feelings of well-being. Try going for a walk, dancing, jogging, or riding a bike. Ask a friend to exercise with you if you need to be motivated.
- Develop a circle of friends for support.
- Identify what may be causing your stress. Determine what steps you can take to reduce stressors, such as changing schedules, using self-relaxation techniques, and setting realistic goals for yourself.
- Talk to someone you can trust, such as a parent, doctor, counselor, religious leader, resident assistant, or teacher. Some people find that sharing their feelings with someone they trust and who recognizes what they’re going through helps them feel better.
- Visit the health center, and discuss concerns with a health professional. If the health professional advises treatment, follow instructions. Watch out for side effects, and attend follow-up appointments to assess improvement. If you don't feel any better after 4-6 weeks, tell your health professional.
- If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Preventing Deaths, Injuries, and Illnesses of Young Workers
Stress Management for the Health of It
Stress Management: Taking Charge
Anxiety Disorders (SAMHSA)
Depression (NLM/NIH)
Mental Illness: What a Difference a Friend Makes (SAMHSA)
Relationships and Sexual Violence
We all have different kinds of relationships in our lives. Healthy relationships increase our self-esteem, improve mental and emotional health, and help us have fuller lives. Feeling scared, humiliated, pressured, or controlled is not the way a relationship should make you feel. Instead, you should feel loved, respected, and free to be yourself. Friends are an important source of support and advice. They play a powerful role in shaping attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
Sexual violence is a serious problem that affects millions of people every year. Sexual violence can have very harmful and lasting effects on victims, families, and communities. Women are more likely to be victims of sexual violence than men. Twenty-two percent of all sexual assault victims are between the typical college ages of 18-24. In 8 out of 10 rape cases, the victim knows the perpetrator. Women in college who use drugs, attend a university with high drinking rates, belong in a sorority, and drank heavily in high school are at greater risk for rape while intoxicated. Most perpetrators of sexual violence are men.
Action Steps
- Communication is essential in healthy relationships. Take time to talk with and listen to your friends and loved ones.
- Express your thoughts and feelings clearly and directly, without intentionally hurting or disrespecting others.
- Avoid relationships with those who drink heavily or use drugs, act aggressively, or treat you disrespectfully.
- If anything in your relationship makes you feel uncomfortable, talk to someone you can trust, such as a parent, doctor, counselor, religious leader, or teacher.
- Lower your risk for sexual violence by trusting your gut. If you don’t feel comfortable in a situation, leave or get help.
- If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual violence and needs help, contact the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or your local emergency service at 911.
Developing Healthy Relationships
Intimate Partner Violence Prevention
Substance Use: Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco
The pressure to use alcohol, drugs and cigarettes can be huge for some college students, especially when trying to make friends and become part of a group. Drinking on some college campuses is more pervasive and destructive than many people realize. Studies show that four out of five college students drink alcohol. Two out of five report binge drinking (defined as five or more drinks for men and four or more for women in one sitting). One in five students reports three or more binge episodes in the prior two weeks.
Alcohol consumption among persons aged 12–20 years contributes to the three leading causes of death (unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide) in this age group in the United States. It is associated with other health-risk behaviors, including high-risk sexual behavior, smoking, and physical fighting.
Club drugs refer to a wide variety of drugs often used at all-night dance parties ("raves"), nightclubs, and concerts. Mixing drugs together or with alcohol is extremely dangerous. The effects of one drug can magnify the effects and risks of another. Taking and/or mixing drugs can cause severe breathing problems, coma, and even death.
The use of alcohol and other drugs increases the risk of being sexually assaulted. Whether taken voluntarily or unknowingly (e.g. a drug is slipped into a person’s drink), alcohol and other drugs can decrease a victim’s ability to assess a risky situation or resist sexual violence.
Tobacco use is common among college students nationwide and is not limited to cigarettes. One study found that the four most common reasons that college students gave for their smoking were stress, less supervision, having more free time, and the number of their friends who smoke. Unfortunately, many students do not realize how addictive nicotine is. Smoking causes cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other problems.
Action Steps
- Educate yourself about the dangers of drinking and binge drinking. Become familiar with campus resources (e.g., student health services) that can help you make informed choices about the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
- Help develop and participate in evening and weekend activities on campus featuring safe and healthy alternatives.
- Work with campus leaders to increase the availability of safe places on campus to meet with friends.
- If you are concerned about your or someone else's use of alcohol or other drugs, seek assistance from your parents, faculty advisor, student health/counseling services, or doctor.
- Know that you CAN quit. Quitting has both immediate and long-term benefits.
- Avoid second-hand smoke. It is just as harmful as if you were smoking yourself.
- Don’t drive after drinking or using drugs.
Alcohol and Public Health
Impaired Driving
Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AMA)
Alcohol Marketing and Youth
(CAMY)
Binge Drinking in Adolescents and College Students (SAMHSA)
Changing the Culture of Campus Drinking (SAMHSA)
College Drinking: Changing the Culture (NIH)
Preventing College-Age Alcohol Abuse (NIH)
Tobacco Use among College Students, School Dropouts, and Pregnant Women (SAMHSA)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Sexually active adolescents (10- to 19-year-olds) and young adults (20- to 24-year-olds) are at higher risk for getting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Women bear the long term effects, including pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal scarring, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. Individuals who are infected with STDs are at least two to five times more likely than uninfected individuals to get HIV if they are exposed to the virus through sexual contact.
Action Steps
- If you are a female age 26 or younger, get an HPV vaccine to help prevent cervical cancer.
- If you are a sexually active female 25 years or younger, get tested every year for chlamydia and other STDs.
- If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis, you must notify your sex partners so that they also can be tested and receive treatment if necessary.
- If your sex partner is diagnosed with an STD, it is important for you to be evaluated, tested, and treated.
- The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from sexual intercourse, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and is known to be uninfected.
- Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, can reduce the risk of transmission of some sexually transmitted diseases.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Personal Health Questions
Hotlines
Below is a selected listing of phone numbers you can call to get health and safety information.
Emergency
911
CDC Health Topics (Immunizations, STDs, and more)
800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
800-662-HELP (4357)
Mental Health Information Center
800-789-2647
National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-SAFE (7233)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
800-273-TALK (8255)
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network
800-656-HOPE (4673)
Page last modified: August 13, 2008
Page last reviewed: August 13, 2008