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Jul 22

First-generation college students have greater systemic inflammation following the initial college transition

Background First-generation college students (“first-gens”) are often at a disadvantage socially and academically; whether they are at risk physiologically is unknown despite the well-established link between greater education and better long-term health. Purpose To examine whether first-gens have higher levels of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk markers relative to continuing-generation college students (“continuing-gens”). Methods A panel of CVD risk markers was assessed among 87 emerging adults (41 first-gens) twice over their first year of college. Results Compared to continuing-gens, first-gens had greater systemic inflammation (composite of averaged z-scores for C-reactive protein and interleukin-6; B = 0.515, SE = 0.171, p = .003) during the fall but not spring semester (p > .05). Associations were independent of family home ownership and childhood adversity, even though first-gens were more likely to live in rental homes and reported riskier home environments. Lower childhood subjective social status (SSS) accounted for greater systemic inflammation among first-gens as evidenced by an indirect effect of college generation status on systemic inflammation through childhood SSS (a1b1 = 0.261, bootstrapped SE = 0.103, 95% boot CI [0.078, 0.482]). There were no differences in metabolic risk and latent virus regulation by college generation status in either semester (p > .10). Conclusions This is the first study to find that first-gens have higher levels of systemic inflammation than continuing-gens following the college transition and that childhood SSS may be one explanatory pathway. First-gens may benefit from university resources that address social class differences, which should be provided early on so that first-gens can reap the health-relevant benefits of higher education, at least in the short term.

CITATION: Jones E. J., & Schreier H. M. C. First-Generation College Students, Emotional Support, and Systemic Inflammation Following the College Transition. J Adolesc Health. 2023 Jan;72(1):36-43. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.08.012. Epub 2022 Oct 8. PMID: 36220685.

Publications — No Comments
13
Jul 22

Self-rated mental and physical health are prospectively associated with psychosocial and academic adjustment to college

To examine prospective associations between physical and mental self-rated health (SRH), college generation status and college adjustment among first-year college students. Participants and methods: Eighty-seven first-year college students (41 first-generation college students) reported their SRH when starting college, and then, reported on psychosocial and academic adjustment and health behaviors midway through each semester. Results: Better physical and mental SRH were associated with better psychosocial adjustment in both semesters and academic adjustment in the fall but were generally not predictive of health behaviors. Specifically, better physical SRH was associated with less loneliness (fall: B = -.192, p = .048; spring: B = -.233, p = .008) and fewer anxiety symptoms in both semesters (fall: B = -.236, p = .011; spring: B = -.210, p = .014) and fewer depressive symptoms (fall: B = -.134, p = .016) and more fall semester credits (B = .965, p = .002). Better mental SRH was associated with greater sense of belonging (fall: B = .317, p < .001; spring: B = .242, p = .009), less loneliness (fall: -.210, p = .008; spring: B = -.181, p = .012), and fewer anxiety symptoms (fall: -.193, p = .011; spring: -.195, p = .006) in both semesters and higher fall semester grade point average (B = .129, p = .032). Independent effects of physical and mental SRH are also discussed. Largely, college generation status did not matter for college adjustment within this sample. Conclusions: Physical and mental SRH when starting college may be important indicators of psychosocial adjustment over the first year and academic adjustment in the fall.

CITATION: Jones, E. J. & Schreier, H. M. C. (2021). Self-rated mental and physical health are prospectively associated with psychosocial and academic adjustment to college. Journal of American College Health.

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