Ninety-eight college students completed questionnaires assessing stress, health, sleep quality, and social support. First generation college students reported more physical health problems, stress, and sleep issues than continuing generation students. They also reported less peer support, though family and teacher support was similar between groups. Preliminary results suggest first generation males reported higher peer support than first generation females. The study aims to further examine stress and social support differences between first generation and continuing generation college students.

1. HEALTH, STRESS, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT IN FIRST
GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS
Victoria Rizzuto, B.S. and Laura J. Dietz, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Because first generation college students are at increased risk for
difficulties adapting to college, this study examined stress, health behaviors,
social support among first generation college students and continuing
generation college students. Ninety-eight (n=98) college students taking an
Introductory to Psychology class completed questionnaires on stress, sleep
quality, physical problems, and teacher, family, and peer support. Analysis of
variance (ANOVA) were conducted to determine if differences between the two
groups existed on these measures. Compared to continuing generation college
students (n=81), first generation college students (n=17) endorsed more
physical problems, more perceived stress, and more sleep disturbances.
Although both groups of students reported similar rates of family and teacher
support, first generation college students reported less peer support than
continuing generation college students. Preliminary analyses revealed a
marginally significant interaction between first generation status and gender on
perceived peer support (F (1, 91) = 3.42, p < .07), with first generation males
(n=5) reporting higher rates of peer social support than first generation females
(n=12). Results from this pilot study support further investigation of stress and
social support in first generation college students as well as investigating
differential risks based upon gender.
A post-secondary degree is an important predictor of securing employment
in industries that are increasingly technology-based, and for social class
mobility in the United States. As such, more students of diverse socioeconomic
and racial/ethnic backgrounds are enrolling in college than ever before.
Parental education level has a strong influence on college students’ persistence
and ultimate degree attainment. Research suggests that first generation
college students, students with parents who do not have a college degree, are
at greater risk of not completing their college degree as compared to continuing
generation college students, students with at least 1 parent who has attained a
college degree. However, the pathways by which first generation students may
be at a disadvantage to their continuing generation peers are poorly
understood. Because their parents have not attended college, first generation
students may lack familiarity with navigating the college experience and may
experience higher perceived stress than their continuing generation peers.
Higher levels of stress in first generation college students may be related to
higher physical health problems and sleep disturbances, as well as less
perceived support from parents, professors, and peers.
SAMPLE: Ninety-eight (n=98) college students from a Northeastern university
participated in the study which focused on stress, sleep quality, physical problems, and
teacher, family, and peer support. Students from an Introduction to Psychology class asked
to complete the survey in order to receive research credit for the class.
PROCEDURE: The current study represents a subset of data collected from students
enrolled in an Introduction to Psychology class. Students were asked to complete
questionnaires to the best of their ability, and also aware that they had the option to omit
answers to questions they did not feel comfortable responding to.
MEASURES: Participants were asked to answer questions which pertained to their
perceived stress, sleep quality and disturbances, physical health problems, and their
teacher, family, and peer support. The results were categorized using global, and previously
researched measures. Each questionnaire required answers to be rated on a Likert-type
scale. The following is a list of questionnaires that each student completed.
First Generation (n=17) Continuing Generation (n=81) Statistic
Age, y, mean ± SD 20.6 ± 4.8 18.8 ± 1.2 F1,97 = 4.16*
Gender, % female 70.6% 53.1% X2
(df =1 ) = 1.75
Housing, % on Campus 82.4% 61.9% X2
(df =1 ) = 0.42
Academic Year, % Freshman 64.7% 76.5% X2
(df =1 ) = 1.04
Campus Involvement, % Yes 47.1% 43.2% X2
(df =1 ) = 0.09
Major, % Psychology Major 5.9% 16.0% X2
(df = 1) =1.19
TABLE 1
Demographic Characteristics
CONCLUSIONS
METHODSABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
First generation students reported significantly poorer sleep than did their continuing
generation peers.
Compared to continuing generation students, first generation students reported more
physical health problems, perceived stress, and decreased peer support. These find-
ings only approached statistical significance, and must be cautiously interpreted.
An interaction approaching statistical significance suggested that first generation fe-
males reported the lowest rates of peer support as compared to first generation males
and continuing generation males and females.
While the results of this pilot study are preliminary, they suggest future study of health
risk factors in first generation college students, including sleep disturbances. Similarly,
these results support the continuing study of gender differences in first generation stu-
dents’ perceived support from peers.
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15)
Spitzer, Williams, & Kroenke, 2001
A 15-item self-reported questionnaire that calculates phys-
ical symptoms experienced on a daily basis. The Total
Score reflects the aggregate of all 15 items, with higher
scores representing more severe symptoms.
Social Support (SOCSS)
Dubow, & Ullman, 1989
A 31-item self-reported questionnaire that measures the
amount of peer, family, and teacher support experienced.
The three Total Scores are an combination of the items,
with higher scores indicating more social support.
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
Buysse, Reynolds, Monk, Berman, & Kupfer, 1988
A 19-item self-report questionnaire that assesses sleep
disturbances over a l-month time interval. Each items gen-
erate seven “component” scores. The sum of scores for
the seven components yield one Global Score, with higher
scores reflecting worse sleep quality.
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein,1983
A 14-item self-report questionnaire that evaluates an indi-
vidual's perception of stressful daily events. The Total
Score reflects the aggregate of all responses, with higher
scores reflecting higher perceived stress.AIMS OF THE STUDY
The aims of this study were to examine the perceived stress, sleep, physi-
cal health problems, and social support among first generation college students
and continuing generation college students. Because a majority of first genera-
tion college students are women, gender was examined as a moderator of dif-
ferences in outcomes between first generation and continuing generation stu-
dents.
F (1, 96) = 3.32, p= .07
*F (1, 96) = 3.12, p= .08
RESULTS
Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were conducted to determine if differences be-
tween the two groups existed on outcome measures.
Two-way ANOVA were conducted to determine whether gender moderated the differ-
ences observed between first generation and continuing generation students on per-
ceived stress, physical health problems, sleep disturbance, and peer support.
F (1, 91) = 3.42, p < .07