Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Susan Marcus
Abstract
Community college students are less healthy than 4-year college students, and they tend to have a higher allostatic load than their 4-year counterparts. Although research demonstrated that community college students are at greater risk for physical and mental illness, a better understanding of how community college students perceive their health responsibility was needed. A basic qualitative approach was employed to study how community college students experience health responsibility. Self-determination theory and the health belief model were used to guide the development of a semistructured interview and analysis plan. Thirteen adult credit-seeking students were interviewed. Data were analyzed using a top-down approach, and seven themes were identified that represented the autonomy, stress, and positive and negative motivators for self-care: nobody is going to take care of me; taking “good” care; a little help from my “friends;” cue to action; barriers; tech help; and what I want to improve. The results revealed the importance of technology to access health information and seek help, and indicated the oppositional forces of knowing what to do versus confronting personal and structural barriers to self-care. Implications for positive social change include updating institutional policies and training to support students’ self-determined health responsibility behaviors with the understanding that helping students manage health risks improves their opportunities for a successful educational experience.
Recommended Citation
Phillips, Christine, "Health Responsibility in Community College Students" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13692.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13692
