Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Oct;73(8):3031-3038.
doi: 10.1080/07448481.2024.2361307. Epub 2024 Jun 21.

Health screenings in college health centers: Variations in practice

Melissa A Sutherland  1 , M Katherine Hutchinson  1 , Bing Si  2 , Yu Ding  2 , Erica Liebermann  1 , Somatra L Connolly  3 , Hans Saint-Eloi Cadely  4 , Jacqueline F Hayes  5   6 , Susan D Mueller  7
Affiliations

Health screenings in college health centers: Variations in practice

Melissa A Sutherland et al. J Am Coll Health. 2025 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the routine screening of female students in college health centers for six priority health-related behaviors and experiences (tobacco use, alcohol use, eating disorders [EDs], obesity, anxiety and depression, intimate partner violence/sexual violence [IPV/SV]), and to identify variations in practice. Participants: A nationally representative sample of 1,221 healthcare providers (HCPs), including nurse practitioners, physicians, and physician assistants, from 471 U.S. college health centers. Methods: HCPs completed surveys (on-line or paper) and reported on routine screening of female college students. Results: HCPs reported consistently high rates (75-85%) of screening for tobacco use, alcohol use, and anxiety/depression. Rates of screening for IPV/SV, obesity and EDs were much lower. Nurse practitioners reported the highest IPV/SV screening rates. Conclusions: College health centers present unique opportunities for screening, case-finding and intervening to reduce long-term sequelae. Providers are well-positioned to lead initiatives to improve screening practices.

Keywords: College health; female college students; health screening.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Melissa A. Sutherland received funds from AHRQ (R01HS027154; M. Sutherland and M.K. Hutchinson), Multi-level Influences of Violence Screening in College Health Centers. The study sponsor had no role in study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing the report; and the decision to submit the report for publication.

M. Katherine Hutchinson received funding from AHRQ (R01HS027154; M. Sutherland and M.K. Hutchinson), Multi-level Influences of Violence Screening in College Health Centers. The study sponsor had no role in study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing the report; and the decision to submit the report for publication.

Bing Si is a faculty member at Binghamton University.

Yu Ding is a graduate student at Binghamton University and works with Dr. Si.

Erica Liebermann has no funding source to report. Dr. Liebermann is a faculty member at University of Rhode Island.

Somatra L. Connolly no funding source to report. Ms. Connolly is a PhD student at the University of Rhode Island.

Hans Saint-Eloi Cadely no funding source to report. Dr. Saint-Eloi Cadely is a faculty member at the University of Rhode Island.

Jacqueline F. Hayes, receives funding from NIDDK (K23128561; J.F. Hayes), Developing a Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for Emerging Adults Implemented within College Health Service Centers and is an Assistant Professor, Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at The Miriam Hospital and the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Warren Alpert Brown Medical School. The study sponsor had no role in study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing the report; and the decision to submit the report for publication.

Susan D. Mueller has no funding source to report and is an Assistant Professor at Tompkins Cortland Community College.

References

    1. National Center for Education Statistics [NCES]. Integrated postsecondary education data system (IPEDS). https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/. Accessed April 30, 2023.
    1. Graham P, Gonyea RM, Fosnacht K, Fassett K. The case for campus housing: results from a national study. Association of College and University Housing Officers. Published July 2021. https://www.acuho-i.org/Portals/0/doc/Case-Campus-Housing_Students-Paren.... Accessed April 15, 2023.
    1. Graham PA, Hurtado SS, Gonyea RM. The benefits of living on campus: do residence halls provide distinctive environments of engagement? J Stud Aff Res Pract. 2018;55(3):255–269. doi: 10.1080/19496591.2018.1474752 - DOI
    1. Arnett JJ. Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. Am Psychol. 2000;55(5):469–480. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.55.5.469 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Arnett JJ. Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road From the Late Teens Through the Twenties. Oxford University Press; 2014. doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199929382.001.0001. Accessed April 15, 2023. - DOI

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources