The Relationship of Stressful College Life Events and Depressive Symptomatology to Health Practices

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship of stressful college life events, and depressive symptomatology to health practices in a group of students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The College Student Life Events Schedule, The Beck Depression Inventory and the College Health Risk Inventory were administered to volunteers from selected classes. Descriptive statistics and frequencies described the sample of 355 students. Hypotheses were tested to determine if there was a significant difference in the overall total scores of health practices for those students with high, medium, and low stressful college life events and non, mild, moderate, and severe depression; and if there was a significant correlation among individual health practices, stressful college life events, and depression. A factor analysis of the College Health Risk Inventory revealed 5 factors. College stressful life events were ranked and categorized into relationships, health, school/academics, death/loss/separation, financial problems, housing and violence/law. The average number of stressful college life events was 13.49, 29.91% scored in depressed categories, and 40.51% scored in the good category for health practices. Results showed a significant difference in the overall total health practices for those students who had a low number of stressful college life events. Significance was found for the overall total health practices for those students who were nondepressed. Females had significantly higher scores on health practices for college stressful life events and depressive symptomatology. One of the factors, Angry, Helpless-Hopeless correlated significantly with college stressful life events and depressive symptomatology. The following conclusions were drawn: 1. As stressful college life events increase, overall health practices decrease. Those students who had low stressful college life events had better overall health practices. 2. As depressive symptomatology increases, overall health practices decrease. Those students who were in the nondepressed category had better overall health practices. 3. Individual health practices tend not to be related to stressful college life events or depressive symptomatology, except for one factor. Angry, Helpless- Hopeless. There is an inconsistency in the relationship of individual health practices with other variables, and the need for separate analysis.