Social Support, Health Behaviors, and Academic Success in College Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether perceived social support was associated with self-efficacy for health promoting behaviors, and whether self-efficacy for health promoting behaviors predicts academic success for college students. Gender differences in perceived social support were also examined. Participants were undergraduate students at a large public university in the Southeast enrolled in an introductory psychology course. Data collection was completed through the use of a demographic form, the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-College Version (Cohen, Mermelstein, Kamarck, & Hoberman, 1985), The Self-Reported Abilities for Health Practices Scale (Becker, Stuifbergen, Oh, & Hall, 1993), and the acquisition of participants' college GPA from official university records. Perceived social support was found to have a significant positive association with self-efficacy for health promoting behaviors. Significant positive associations accounting for at least 10% of the variance in the dependent variable were found between the total score of perceived social support and the mean composite score of self-efficacy for health promoting behaviors, perceived belonging support and self-efficacy for exercise, perceived appraisal support and self-efficacy for psychological well-being, and perceived appraisal support and self-efficacy for responsible health practices. Gender differences in perceived social support were also found with females reporting greater perceived social support. Females reported greater perceived appraisal, tangible, belonging, and self-esteem support. No relationship was found in this study between self-efficacy for health promoting behaviors and academic success. The results from this study may be useful to college students looking to improve their health and for health professionals working to promote health in the college student population. Choosing a social support intervention is likely to increase self-efficacy for health promoting behaviors, which have been linked to their actual implementation (Von Ah, Ebert, Ngamvitroj, Park, & Duck-Hee, 2004).