Assessing the Cardiovascular Health Status and Knowledge Level of College Students

Abstract

Background. Statistics show that the cardiovascular health (CVH) of young Michigan residents is problematic, yet little is known about the CVH of Michigan’s college students. This study sought to (1) estimate the prevalence of ideal levels of CVH metrics among college students, (2) assess their CVH knowledge, and (3) examine the association between students’ CVH knowledge level and sociodemographics on their CVH behaviors. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was administered online from August 2017 to April 2018. The survey included questions related to students’ demographic characteristics, CVH behaviors, presence of CVH factors, and knowledge of ideal levels for CVH metrics. The study included 341 Oakland University students aged 20 to 40 years. Descriptive statistics estimated students’ CVH status and knowledge of CVH measures. Generalized ordinal logistic regression analyses examined the association between students’ CVH knowledge level and sociodemographic characteristics on their CVH behaviors. All analyses were performed using STATA MP14. Results. More than 87% of the participants did not have an ideal body mass index level. Students’ CVH knowledge score significantly decreased (odds ratio = 0.80, 95% confidence interval = 0.67-0.96) with each increase in the number of non-ideal CVH behaviors performed. Conclusions. Michigan college students may benefit from lifestyle interventions that improve their knowledge of CVH and promote ideal CVH behaviors.