According to recently released data about Harvard students’ health habits, undergraduates lead healthier lifestyles than their national counterparts, though they still display some alarming behaviors, according to University Health Services (UHS) officals.

The data came from the largest health survey ever conducted on the Harvard student body.

The survey was distributed through UHS, and sponsored by the American College Health Association (ACHA).The Harvard results were first released to UHS in the spring of 2001, with the national data following this past summer.

Over the last few months health experts have been busy analyzing the results.

“I was surprised that so many students reported smoking, and it surprised me that we have a significant number of couch potatoes,” says David S. Rosenthal ’57, director of UHS. “And student eating habits are concerning, despite students saying that they eat well.”

The survey was the first nationwide effort to track college health behaviors.

Previously, the only similar data available to college health centers came from the Centers for Disease Control’s assessment on adolescent health, a project that was not specific to college students.

“We participated because there was no national or Harvard data set for health behaviors,” says Michael A. Hoyt, UHS coordinator of health promotion and outreach, who spearheaded the survey effort. “We had indicators, but no specific numbers, and no numbers to compare the indicators to. We had no ability to track health over time, and we didn’t know what real needs were.”

The questionnaire, which requested information on topics ranging from time management to sexual practices, was mailed to 2,500 randomly selected Harvard undergraduates in the spring of 2000.

Of those students, 905 returned the anonymous survey, a 36.2 percent response rate. Despite the low response, respondents were demographically representative of the student body as a whole, according to the survey results.

With its first set of comprehensive concrete data, UHS is now engaged in educating its clinicians to better meet student needs, as well as passing on the information to groups who can use the data to more efficiently help students, such as student peer education groups.

“It helps us focus where we need to put our educational efforts, and better work with peer educational groups,” says Rosenthal.

Despite some unexpected results, UHS officials say they are generally pleased with the results.

“Taken in the big picture, the survey was good news,” says Hoyt. “In many instances, students had healthier behaviors than the national average would suggest.”

Abusive Behavior