Effects of Perceived Self-efficacy, Social Support and Adjustment to College on the Health-promoting Behaviors of Chinese/Taiwanese Internationl Students

Effects of Perceived Self-efficacy, Social Support and Adjustment to College on the Health-promoting Behaviors of Chinese/Taiwanese Internationl Students PDF Author: Yun Ying K. Hung
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Chinese students
Languages : en
Pages : 172

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Book Description
Most chronic diseases originate in early life and young adulthood and can be qualified as lifestyle diseases. The health-promoting behaviors of young adults are critically linked to the health status they can expect to have as older adults. Of the rapidly growing numbers of international students in the United States, Asian students comprise the largest proportion, with the majority of this group coming from China or Taiwan. This study aims to investigate the health-promoting behaviors and health needs of this specific group of international students. Even as they work to adjust to a foreign culture, society, and language, these students must also face the challenges of undertaking a new academic program. It is essential that they develop and practice health-promoting behaviors to promote and enhance their well-being, as well as to prevent the risks of developing a chronic illness. Perceived self-efficacy and social support are central predictors for adjustment to college and for health-promoting behaviors in college student populations. Although the influence of adjustment to college on students' academic performance and psychological health has been demonstrated, little is known regarding the relationship between adjustment to college and health-promoting behaviors in Chinese/Taiwanese international students. Therefore, this study sought to examine the effects of perceived self-efficacy and social support on health-promoting behaviors in Chinese/Taiwanese international students as mediated by their adjustment to college. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational research design was used to test the study hypotheses. A convenience sample of 103 Chinese/Taiwanese students at a large public university in the Midwest completed questionnaires containing: the Generalized Self-efficacy Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, and the Demographic Data Questionnaire. The study model was tested using Baron and Kenney's procedures for mediation testing. The results from the study revealed that the effects of perceived self-efficacy and perceived social support on health-promoting behaviors were partially mediated through the level of adjustment to college. The mediator variable, adjustment to college, revealed a statistically significant ability to predict the students' health-promoting behaviors (Sobel = 3.0, p = 0.003; Sobel = 2.8, p = 0.005). These findings suggest that the effects of self-efficacy and social support on health-promoting behaviors in Chinese/Taiwanese international students may be mediated through their adjustment to college. Further research on larger and more diverse samples of international students is needed. However, if supported by future studies, these findings suggest that international students' level of adjustment to college plays a very important role in their health-promoting behaviors.

Effects of Perceived Self-efficacy, Social Support and Adjustment to College on the Health-promoting Behaviors of Chinese/Taiwanese Internationl Students

Effects of Perceived Self-efficacy, Social Support and Adjustment to College on the Health-promoting Behaviors of Chinese/Taiwanese Internationl Students PDF Author: Yun Ying K. Hung
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Chinese students
Languages : en
Pages : 172

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Book Description
Most chronic diseases originate in early life and young adulthood and can be qualified as lifestyle diseases. The health-promoting behaviors of young adults are critically linked to the health status they can expect to have as older adults. Of the rapidly growing numbers of international students in the United States, Asian students comprise the largest proportion, with the majority of this group coming from China or Taiwan. This study aims to investigate the health-promoting behaviors and health needs of this specific group of international students. Even as they work to adjust to a foreign culture, society, and language, these students must also face the challenges of undertaking a new academic program. It is essential that they develop and practice health-promoting behaviors to promote and enhance their well-being, as well as to prevent the risks of developing a chronic illness. Perceived self-efficacy and social support are central predictors for adjustment to college and for health-promoting behaviors in college student populations. Although the influence of adjustment to college on students' academic performance and psychological health has been demonstrated, little is known regarding the relationship between adjustment to college and health-promoting behaviors in Chinese/Taiwanese international students. Therefore, this study sought to examine the effects of perceived self-efficacy and social support on health-promoting behaviors in Chinese/Taiwanese international students as mediated by their adjustment to college. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational research design was used to test the study hypotheses. A convenience sample of 103 Chinese/Taiwanese students at a large public university in the Midwest completed questionnaires containing: the Generalized Self-efficacy Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, and the Demographic Data Questionnaire. The study model was tested using Baron and Kenney's procedures for mediation testing. The results from the study revealed that the effects of perceived self-efficacy and perceived social support on health-promoting behaviors were partially mediated through the level of adjustment to college. The mediator variable, adjustment to college, revealed a statistically significant ability to predict the students' health-promoting behaviors (Sobel = 3.0, p = 0.003; Sobel = 2.8, p = 0.005). These findings suggest that the effects of self-efficacy and social support on health-promoting behaviors in Chinese/Taiwanese international students may be mediated through their adjustment to college. Further research on larger and more diverse samples of international students is needed. However, if supported by future studies, these findings suggest that international students' level of adjustment to college plays a very important role in their health-promoting behaviors.

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

Social Support, Health Behaviors, and Academic Success in College Students PDF Author: Megan C. Fox
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Academic achievement
Languages : en
Pages : 79

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Book Description
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).

Examining International Students' Psychosocial Adjustment to Life in the United States

Examining International Students' Psychosocial Adjustment to Life in the United States PDF Author: Jing Zhang
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This dissertation, containing two journal-formatted manuscripts, examines factors associated with international students' psychosocial adjustment to life in the United States. In the first manuscript, I systematically reviewed 64 studies reporting predictors of international student adjustment, which were published in English language peer-reviewed journals from 1990 to 2008. I summarized predictors by adjustment outcomes and assessed the methodological quality of individual studies. In the second manuscript, I investigated mechanisms through which acculturation influenced psychosocial adjustment of Chinese international students, by electronically surveying a sample of 508 Chinese international students from four universities in Texas. Specifically, the mechanisms investigated in this report refer to the mediating and moderating effects of social interaction and social connectedness with host nationals upon the acculturation-adjustment linkages. Results portrayed in the first manuscript showed stress, social support, English language proficiency, region/country of origin, length of residence in the United States, acculturation, social interaction with Americans, self-efficacy, gender, and personality were among the most frequently reported predictors of international students' psychosocial adjustment. The mean methodological score of the reviewed studies was 6.25 (SD=1.8; maximum possible score=11). The reviewed studies overcame selected methodological limitations pointed out by Church in his review, but show room for continued improvement. Results portrayed in the second manuscript showed social connectedness with Americans mediated the links between adherence to the host culture (acculturation dimension) and psychosocial adjustment. Social interaction with Americans moderated the association between adherence to the home culture (acculturation dimension) and depression. Findings from this dissertation have implications for health promotion research and practice. First, this dissertation calls for a revision in the sojourner adjustment framework to address the shared elements underlying both adjustment domains (psychological and sociocultural). Second, more studies are needed to a) examine macro-level factors and currently under-investigated micro-level factors, b) test theories that integrate micro- and macro-level factors, c) examine mediation and moderation effects, and d) systematically employ longitudinal designs and comparison groups. Third, health promotion professionals would do well to address predictors and mechanisms found in this dissertation when developing evidence-based interventions for international students.

Higher Education and International Student Mobility in the Global Knowledge Economy

Higher Education and International Student Mobility in the Global Knowledge Economy PDF Author: Kemal Gürüz
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 1438435703
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 467

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Book Description
Praise for the First Edition: "Higher education has exploded globally, and Gürüz's excellent, timely study is as useful a guidebook as one will find to this new (even revolutionary) world. . . [A] major contribution and starting point for an important conversation." Choice "Gürüz's book is a powerful and remarkably comprehensive work dealing with a wide array of interconnected topics and complex data relating to globalization and international student mobility. . . . Higher Education and International Student Mobility in the Global Knowledge Economy is a wonderful read on many levels and clearly represents decades of careful data analysis and synthesis." International Review of Education Students and scholars leaving their homes in search of education and knowledge is not a new phenomenon. An indispensable resource for understanding the international mobility of students, this book reveals how the global mobility of such students, scholars, programs, and institutions of higher education have evolved over time. Kemal Gürüz explores the contributions that the international mobility of students has made to civilization, scientific, and technological progress, and the ways in which it is occurring in today's global economy. The second edition of this widely praise study is completely revised and updated, tracing international mobility in higher education through the first decade of the twenty-first century. Kemal Gürüz is Former President of the Council of Higher Education of the Republic of Turkey and retired Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Middle East Technical University. In 2006, he was the first recipient of the Chancellor John W. Ryan Fellowship in International Education at the State University of New York.

An Exploration of Chinese International Students' Social Self-efficacies

An Exploration of Chinese International Students' Social Self-efficacies PDF Author: Shu-Ping Lin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Acculturation
Languages : en
Pages : 99

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Book Description
Abstract: Despite a growing literature regarding both the social self-efficacy and the cross-cultural adjustment of international students, an integration of research in these two areas is still not yet well developed. Given concern over this lack of integration and interest in understanding the nature of the adjustment process of international students, this present study endeavored to explore the role of social self-efficacy in the process of cross-cultural adjustment for Chinese international students. Accordingly, the main purpose of this study is to seek to examine whether there is a discrepancy in the levels of social self-efficacy in different language settings for Chinese international students. Also, the relationships between social self-efficacy in different language settings and other constructs, such as acculturation stress, global self-esteem, and English proficiency, would be examined. Other hypotheses examining the predicting relationships between these variables would be discussed in this study as well for applications in intervening. The sample of participants consisted of 203 Chinese international students who were mainly recruited from the Ohio State University. There were four measures administered in this study: the scale of Perceived Social Self-Efficacy, the Unconditional Self-Regard Scale, the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students, and a Demographic Questionnaire, which contained three questions regarding English proficiency. Several important findings have been evident in this study. First, Chinese international students reported different levels of social self-efficacy in different language settings. That is, they perceived a significantly higher social self-efficacy in Chinese interactional setting than in English setting. Secondly, English social self-efficacy is the major resource in influencing international students' adjustment outcomes. That is, a higher level of social self-efficacy will predict a lower level of acculturation stress. Third, both the cognitive (social self-esteem) and affective (global self-esteem) parts of an individual contribute to the psychological adjustment outcomes, such as acculturation stress, in an essential fashion. Finally, variables like English proficiency and the length of residency in the USA have indirect influence on acculturation stress through social self-efficacy. That is, social self-efficacy is the mediator for the predicted relationships.

Help-seeking Attitudes in Chinese International Students in Community Colleges

Help-seeking Attitudes in Chinese International Students in Community Colleges PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Acculturation
Languages : en
Pages : 179

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Book Description
The primary purpose of this mixed methodology study is to explore the psychological help-seeking attitudes amongst the Chinese international students attending community colleges when facing acculturative stress. The social-behavioral model (Andersen & Newman, 1995) of help-seeking behaviors that included the variables of personal factors (e.g. age, gender), environmental factors (e.g. social support), and acculturation level were considered. A mixed-methods design was implemented using 39 Chinese international students and seven assessments. These assessments included the Attitudes toward Seeing professional Psychological help Scale (ATSPPHS), a modified versions of the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA), Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS), Asian Value Scale-Revised 9AVS-R), Multidimentional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Brief Religious Coping (Brief RCOPE), and a demographic questionnaire. Additionally, two focus groups with students and four interviews with administrators were conduced to understand students' acculturated challenges, their coping strategies, and their psychological help-seeking attitudes.

Dissertation Abstracts International

Dissertation Abstracts International PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Dissertations, Academic
Languages : en
Pages : 644

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Book Description


The Effects of First Generation Status on the Well-being of Undergraduate Students

The Effects of First Generation Status on the Well-being of Undergraduate Students PDF Author: Jaime Lynn Wetzel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Adjustment (Psychology)
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
The current study explored the effects of non-traditional choices on psychological well-being. Participants were divided into groups by their generational status. First generation college students (FGC) reported that neither of their parents had any college experience while the students from college educated families (CEF) reported that one or both of their parents had some education beyond high school. The study utilized self-report, archival data. The Scales of Psychological Well-Being (Ryff, 1989) provided overall well-being scores as well as six subscales. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley, 1988), two subscales of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (Bake & Siryk, 1984), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965) were also used. These three constructs were also understood in their relationship to well-being. The results suggest that self-esteem and social support from friends are important factors for all college students. Academic adjustment appeared to be related to well-being for all students but was more predictive of well-being for the FGC students. In looking at perceived social support from family, FGC students indicated a negative correlation between this type of support and their feelings of autonomy. Similarly, a linear regression model for CEF students showed that perceived social support from family was one of three variables in a model predicting well-being. No significant group differences were observed in the reports of overall well-being, perceived social support, self-esteem, or adaptation to college. This was contrary to what was hypothesized, but may be the result of a unique sample which included many older, African American women who commuted to school. Considerations of the sample and its influence on the findings have been included. Suggestions for future research address the need to produce more generalizable findings and further differentiate between the needs of FGC students and the needs of new college students in general.

Social Support and Physical Health

Social Support and Physical Health PDF Author: Bert N. Uchino
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300127987
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
This book will change the way we understand the future of our planet. It is both alarming and hopeful. James Gustave Speth, renowned as a visionary environmentalist leader, warns that in spite of all the international negotiations and agreements of the past two decades, efforts to protect Earth's environment are not succeeding. Still, he says, the challenges are not insurmountable. He offers comprehensive, viable new strategies for dealing with environmental threats around the world. The author explains why current approaches to critical global environmental problems - climate change, biodiversity loss, deterioration of marine environments, deforestation, water shortages, and others - don't work. He offers intriguing insights into why we have been able to address domestic environmental threats with some success while largely failing at the international level. Setting forth eight specific steps to a sustainable future, Speth convincingly argues that dramatically different government and citizen action are now urgent. If ever a book could be described as essential, this is it.

Understanding Utilization of Mental Health Services Among Chinese International Students

Understanding Utilization of Mental Health Services Among Chinese International Students PDF Author: Ge Zhu
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Background: Depressive and anxiety disorders are common mental health disorders that threaten the well-being of ethnic minorities. Asian international students are suggested experience higher level of depression and anxiety, but less likely to use mental health services than students in general. This study examines factors that motivate and impede Chinese international students from seeking college counseling services from the perspective of health communication. Method: An online, self-administered questionnaire was conducted among a randomized sample of 150 Chinese international students from a Mid-Western university. The questionnaire was structured with key variables derived from the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), such as perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, and self-efficacy of using counseling services. Key variables are measured by 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis was conducted with Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression. Results: Chinese international students' counseling seeking behavior is influenced by their perceived self-efficacy and external impediments of using counseling services. Perceived knowledge of mental health disorders and counseling contribute significantly to Chinese international perceived self-efficacy of using counseling services; however, perceived knowledge of the two items are generally low. The adherence of Asian cultural values, especially to collectivism and emotional self-control, contribute significantly to Chinese international students' negative perceptions of counseling. Conclusion: College counseling services should conduct health communication campaigns that aim at improving Asian international students' knowledge of depression/anxiety and psychological counseling, in order to encourage them to engage in college counseling system. College counseling services should also enhance the cultural sensitivity of counselors, and provide culture-matched counseling services to Asian international students.