January 9, 2018

Health and wellness survey aims to assess student health behaviors to improve services, support

Wayne State University, the College of Nursing and the Campus Health Center are committed to providing an atmosphere that values student health and wellness. As such, the university is seeking feedback from students to assess health behaviors with the goal of providing better services and support.

Later this month, a random sample of WSU students will be invited to complete the National College Health Assessment, which is sponsored and distributed by the American College Health Association in partnership with Wayne State University. The personal health and wellness behavior information gathered through the online survey will be used to develop or enhance wellness programs and services for Wayne State students.

“A clear understanding of student health needs will allow us to provide targeted services for our students, which will help us increase the success and well-being of our student population,” said Dr. Ramona Benkert, associate dean for academic and clinical affairs, associate professor at the College of Nursing, and the survey’s principal investigator.

Students will be encouraged to complete the 20 to 30-minute online survey in one sitting. Students who complete the survey will automatically be entered into a random drawing for one of 10 $100 Wayne State University Bookstore gift certificates.

Participation is voluntary and confidential. To ensure confidentiality, email addresses will be destroyed before data are compiled and shared. The raw data file that is shared with WSU will not contain any unique identifiers. 

“Not only will the Campus Health Center be able to address student health and wellness needs with data from this survey, we plan to share the data with other student-centered WSU departments to further increase student success.” said Ann Rayford, chief nursing officer for the Campus Health Center.

Prior to beginning the survey, students will be advised of the intimate nature of some questions, which include topics such as illegal substance use, interpersonal violence and sexual behavior. Students wishing to talk with someone about issues addressed in the survey may contact the Campus Health Center or Counseling and Psychological Services for resources.

Questions regarding the survey may be addressed to the principal investigator, Dr. Ramona Benkert, at 313-577-4138 or ramonabenkert@wayne.edu or  Ann Rayford, chief nursing officer of the Campus Health Center, at 313-577-5041 or au3072@wayne.edu.

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