Each year excessive alcohol use costs the United States (US) economy $250 billion and results in 95,000 deaths. Binge drinking is a form of excessive alcohol use and accounts for over 70% of these statistics. High-intensity drinking (HID), an extreme measure of binge drinking, is operationally defined as drinking twice the gender-specific binge…

Concussions are a common occurrence in adolescent sports. While scholarly literature has documented concussion symptoms and their implications, intrinsic and extrinsic factors that may contribute to an athlete's decision to return to play (RTP) following concussion have received less attention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the…

Objectives: This study investigated if unhealthy sleeping habits of university students can be explained by the Theory of Planned Behavior. Method: An online questionnaire was administered to 1006 undergraduate students at a Belgian university to measure their frequency of irregular sleeping times, daytime napping, and pre-bedtime alcohol or…

Objective To assess college students' willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccines and the factors that influence their decisions. Participants: Traditional (aged 18-23) undergraduate students at a university in central Texas. Methods: An online survey was administered in fall 2020 to 614 students stratified by sex and race/ethnicity. Results: 40.9% of…

Cooking at home is associated with health benefits, and 10- and 11-year-old children are capable of participating in meal preparation. However, opportunities for children to cook at home have declined. This study aimed to identify determinants of the frequency and the intention to cook at home in fifth graders using the Theory of Planned Behavior…

Objective: College students are at risk of drinking and driving. The current study examines the use of immersive stories to prevent college students from drinking and driving. Participants: 107 college students participated in the study. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to watch an immersive 360° video, which featured a story of a…

Objective: This study explores college women's beliefs and experiences about exercise informed by different framing strategies, and how they may influence exercise engagement. Participants: Four focus groups were conducted with 19 undergraduate women at a large public Midwestern university. Methods: Four differently framed group exercise…

Factors that affect physical activity (PA) behavior change are well established. Behavioral intention is a strong psychological predictor of behavior; however, there is less research on the factors that affect the "intention" to increase PA participation specifically, especially among adults in mid and later life who are inactive. Using…

Approximately 60-80% of college students report engaging in a hookup at some point during their college career. College students find hookup partners through traditional meeting contexts, but dating apps and social media have become a new resource to identify potential sexual partners. Because males are the ones who physically wear condoms, safer…

Background: Although receiving the HPV vaccine can help to prevent the development of cancer and HPV-related diseases, many individuals are not vaccinated in adolescence. Purpose: To examine knowledge about changes to the FDA's approval of the HPV vaccine for adults ages 26-45 years and to utilize the Integrated Behavioral Model (IBM) constructs…

Objective: Alcohol misuse prevention often fails to account for or replace the pleasurable benefits of drinking such as relaxing and socialising with friends. Increasingly, alcohol-free dance music events are emerging, allowing people to gain the positive outcomes of dancing without recourse to alcohol. This study sought to explore whether…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has quickly spread around the world, and since currently no treatments that are safe and effective for large groups of people nor a vaccine are available, the best way to prevent the illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus causing it. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive effects of both…

Objective: This study examines the prevalence and risk factors associated with risky sexual behaviors in community college students. Participants: A diverse sample of 18--19-year-old community college students (N = 264). Methods: Baseline data from an online prevention program administered in 2015. Results: Community college students in this…

While studies have shown a consistent association between athlete status and risk-taking behavior (RTB), comparatively little is known about the mechanisms that potentially account for the influence of athletic participation on RTBs. The current study tests a theoretical model linking sensation seeking to RTBs through the perception of risk and…

Objective: To examine the relationship between race, gender, and pre-hookup relationship intentions and college students' participation in condomless vaginal sex. Participants: 3,315 Black and White college students who participated in the Online College Social Life Survey (OCSLS). Methods: Secondary data analysis of the OCSLS using Chi-square and…