A Report on the Health of Male College Students at Lake Forest College:

1
A Report on the Health of Male College Students
at Lake Forest College

• Prepared by
• Anthony Isacco and William Divane
• March 5, 2008

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Agenda

• Why was this report written
• Our goals for this report
• How did we collect our information
• The results from our interviews
• Recommendations to enhance Mens Health at Lake
  Forest College
• Discussion and Questions

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Why write a report on Mens Health?

• College-aged men have distinctive health threats
  and are more likely than women to engage in
  risk-taking behavior.
• Unclear what the health needs of male college
  students at LFC are and how they can be
  addressed.

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Compared to women

• men are more likely to use drugs and alcohol,
  engage in risky sexual behavior, drive
  dangerously, commit suicide, engage in violent
  behavior, die younger, commit sexual assault, and
  be hospitalized for injuries.
• men are less likely to engage in
  health-promoting behaviors and lifestyles, seek
  medical care, and seek mental health services.

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Contributors to Gender Differences

• Traditional male stereotypes (strong,
  self-reliant, stoic, aggressive) can restrict
  willingness to seek help.
• Men are socialized to hide vulnerability and can
  consider themselves invulnerable to health
  concerns and injuries.

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Goals of this Report on Mens Health

• Identify the health (broadly defined) concerns of
  male college students LFC.
• Identify what motivates men to be healthy or
  unhealthy.
• Identify what are mens prevailing perceptions of
  Counseling Services and seeking help.
• Offer recommendations that would help LFC meet
  the health needs of men on campus.

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How we accomplished our goals

• Interviewed Staff in Student Affairs and Athletic
  Department (n6)
• Conducted interviews, focus groups, and
  administered written surveys to male students
  (n10)

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Staffs perceptions of Mens Health Concerns

• Men are terrible with time Stay up late, lack
  sleep, miss classes, arent organized, poor time
  management skills, procrastinate, not as involved
  on campus, too much free time, not sure what to
  do with free time, mess around too much, have a
  difficult time balancing sports and school.
• Men fear seeking help Tony Soprano mentality,
  try to figure things out on their own, work hard
  to maintain a everything if cool image, cope
  with problems through playing video games,
  drinking alcohol, gambling, expressing anger.
• Men are seeking healthy relationships, but
  Dont know how to be respectful and appropriately
  intimate, have difficulty dealing with break-ups,
  miss family members, feel like theyre treated
  like children and labeled as trouble makers, and
  are struggling with their sexual identity

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According to staff, men perceive Counseling
Services

• As a last resort Something drastic has to
  happen (e.g., death in the family), deal with
  problems on their own first (i.e., walk it off,
  suck it up), teammates/buddies second.
• Not for them Dont need counseling, only for
  extreme people, not a thing for men to do,
  waste of time if not helpful, fear that word
  would get out if did go,
• Inaccurately Not really sure what counseling
  is, unaware of the dialogue that takes place, the
  confidentiality, consider counseling to take
  place in a white-padded room where they have to
  lay on a couch, answer a bunch of questions and
  be analyzed.

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Suggestions from Staff to address Mens Health
Concerns

• Increase and improve Marketing of Counseling
  Services Men should know that counseling is
  not just for depressed students, that the
  counselors are normal people, rather than
  counseling use words such as life coaching
  problem solving or consultation, create a
  mens newsletter, and conduct informal open
  houses.
• Collaborate Work more closely with athletic
  coaches, offer quick interventions that describe
  counseling services to coaches and players.
• Utilize existing programs as points of
  intervention Practices, orientations, First
  Year Experience, ACE, Leaders-Scholar, SOAP,
  fraternities.

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Male Students Perceptions of their Health
Concerns and Stressors

• Nutrition and fitness Want to eat right, work
  out, and stay in shape. However, they lack
  knowledge on appropriate eating habits and
  healthy foods, vitamins, and supplements. Also,
  they feel more pressure to be cut than simply
  physically fit.
• The Environment A catch-all term. Included
  the long winter, the cliquish cafeteria,
  residence halls and dorms that put men too
  close to each other, and biased Public Safety.
  

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Male Students Perceptions of their Health
Concerns and Stressors, cont.

• Im a man, but what type of man? Want to be
  treated like men. But are conflicted by the
  type of man that they feel pressured to be, i.e.,
  mans man, one does not get upset, is involved,
  a leader, but does not appear to care about
  things, and deals with problems individually.
• Prevention Men would like to prevent an array
  of problems, from common illnesses (colds, flu),
  to sexually transmitted diseases and suicide.
• Time Management Late nights, missing deadlines,
  balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities,
  athletics, unsure what to do with free time, lack
  sleep and rest, and becoming lazy.

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Motivators and BarriersWhy men try to be healthy
and what gets in the way

• Having healthy friends
• Feeling out of shape
• Knowing the benefits of being healthy
• Impacts me directly
• Know the dangers of not being healthy
• Realize change is needed
• Being an athlete
• Being attractive
• Looking and feeling good
• Maturity
• Being involved

• Little knowledge about healthy lifestyles
• Unhealthy options at cafeteria
• Poor and unwelcoming workout facilities
• Laziness
• Dating
• School work
• Friends that arent healthy

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Current Health Behaviors of Male College Students
at LFC

• Workout, lift weights, go to weight room
• Play sports and be active
• Drink water
• Eat right
• Communicate with friends
• Drink moderately or have a stiff drink
• Get rest
• Maintain a healthy sex life
• Use vitamins and supplements
• Listen to music

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Male Students Perceptions of Counseling Services

• Pretty similar to staff perceptions
• -Last resort
• -Not really for them
• -Inaccurately
• Additional Perceptions
• Great resource, have personally used Counseling
  Services
• Want an experienced counselor that they can trust

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Suggestions from Male College Students to Address
their Concerns

• Nutrition Services Have a nutritionist that can
  develop a healthy plan specific to student.
  Have lectures, information available on campus
  and internet about nutrition.
• Campus-wide effort Need for collaborations
  across Residence Life, Counseling Services,
  Health Services, Public Safety, Athletics in
  order for these concerns to be addressed.
• Programs for Men Stress management, and other
  monthly sessions, programs that address the
  concerns.

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Counseling Services Recommendations

• Collaboration The development of a Mens
  Health Committee that could include staff and
  students from various departments and backgrounds
  that could continue to examine mens health at
  LFC and facilitate positive health for men on
  campus.
• Mens Health as an Academic Effort Specific
  classes that stimulates intellectual awareness as
  well as practical health education. Examples
  could include innovative, interdisciplinary
  course offerings in psychology, pre-health,
  biology, womens and gender studies departments.
  
• Developing Man-to-Man (i.e., peer-to-peer)
  Interventions Men reported enjoying the focus
  groups, the opportunity to vent and talk about
  their concerns in a safe place with other men. A
  similar format could be used where trained peer
  educators can listen to mens concern, help men
  to arrange consultations, and use campus
  resources.

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Thank you!

• Questions
• Discussion