How healthy are college students? Every year, the National College Health Assessment surveys college students at more than 200 institutions about everything from alcohol consumption to sex, exercise, and depression.

The survey, which is also conducted every other year on the Carolina campus by Healthy Carolina, offers many opportunities for research, said Michelle Burcin, director of Healthy Carolina. "We would love for people in the social sciences to do research with this data; we have the survey results year from the national survey and from our own campus," she said.

Students' academic achievement and progress toward completion of a degree are significantly correlated with their health and health behavior, said Debbie Beck, director of the Thomson Student Health Center. "Given the potential negative impact of the critical health issues affecting academic success and retention, it's essential that institutions of higher education identify the health indicators and create comprehensive services and programs that advance the health of students," Beck said.

So how well do you know the health habits of Carolina students? Here's a simple quiz based on data from this year's survey.

What percentage of Carolina students reported never using alcohol or not using any in the past 30 days? (a) 9 percent (b) 19 percent (c) 29 percent

What percentage reported either never using marijuana or not using any in the past 30 days? (a) 89 percent (b) 49 percent (c) 9 percent

What percentage reported working 20 or more hours per week during the academic year? (a) 4 percent (b) 14 percent (c) 34 percent

Finally, what percentage of students is taking medications for depression? (a) 37 percent (b) 47 percent (c) 57 percent.

It turns out that 29 percent of Carolina students reported never using alcohol or not using any in the past month. Those same students, however, reported that they thought only 3 percent of the overall student body didn't drink alcohol in the past 30 days.

An overwhelming 89 percent said they have never smoked marijuana or had not done so in the past month; they, in turn, said they believed that only 15 percent of the student body had not used marijuana in the same time period.

And a little more than one-third of student respondents--37 percent--reported they are taking anti-depressants. Nineteen percent reported they are in therapy for depression.

"Misperceptions regarding student behavior can have a negative impact on students' actual behavior," Burcin said. "Students sometimes have misperceptions about the health behaviors of their peers, and faculty and staff often reinforce those misperceptions."

To learn more about the National College Health Assessment data and its equivalent for the Columbia campus, go to www.sc.edu/healthycarolina or call Michelle Burcin at 7-4752.

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