Perceptualand MotorSkills, 1991, 73, 497-498.
O Perceptual and Motor Skills 1991
HEAD-INJURY PREVALENCE AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS ' COOPER B. HOLMES Emporia State University
AND
VICTORIA L. BUZZANGA University of Missouri-Gnsas City
Summary.-835 community college students were surveyed to establish the prevalence of head injury or illness. Results are compared to prevalence rates among 4-year college students.
Holmes, Kixrmller, Minor, Thomas, and Wurtz (1990) reported a prevalence study of head injury/illness among college students. Of 1,168 students, 2.14% were men and 2.23% were women reporting a previously medically diagnosed head injurylillness. An additional 2.23% were men and 3.00% were women each reporting a past unconscious episode of 20 or more minutes. Combining men and women, 4.37% reported a head injurylillness and 5.22% reported a period of unconsciousness. The present study was conducted to ascertain the prevalence rate of head injurylillness among community college students. Men and women students in community colleges were surveyed using the same instrument as Holrnes, et al. (1990). The survey asked students if they had ever had a medically diagnosed head injury/illness or a period of unconsciousness of 20 or more minutes. Demographic data and details of the injury or unconsciousness were obtained. Twenty-one surveys were discarded because data were incomplete or facetious, leaving 835 useable surveys (320 men and 515 women). The students, ages 17 to 60 years, represented over 60 majors and were surveyed in nearly 20 different classes at five two-year institutions: Hesston College (Kansas), Hutchinson Community College (Kansas), Spokane Falls Community College (Washington), St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley (Missouri), and Wharton County Junior College (Texas). Enrollments ranged from about 500 to over 10,000 students. Analysis showed that of the 835 students, 2.04% were men and 2.75% were women reporting a diagnosed head injurylillness (for a combined 4.79% of the students). For 20 or more minutes unconsciousness, 3.15% were men and 5.52% were women reporting such an episode (for a combined 10.66% of the students). No injury or unconsciousness was reported by 84.55% of the students. The mean GPAs of the head-injured group (M = 2.95), unconscious period (3.021, and noninjured (2.91) were not significantly different. The mean age of the group with an unconscious period (M = 18.5 yr.) was
'Requests for re rints or an extended report should be addressed to Cooper B. Holrnes, Department of ~syc!olo~y, Emporia Srate University, Emporia, KS 66801.
498
C. B. HOLMES
& V.
L. BUZZANGA
significantly younger than the means of the other two groups (head injury = 26.1 yr.; noninjured = 22.8 yr.); however, the present data d o not help in focusing an interpretation of this finding. Comparing the data from the present study and the study of 4-year colleges, it is apparent that head injury/illness prevalence rates are almost identical for the 2- and 4-year colleges; however, the rate for a period of unconsciousness of 20 or more minutes was double among the community college students that among those at 4-year colleges. Again, no ready interpretation is apparent. The data from the present study indicate that a large number of community college students have either incurred a diagnosed head injury/illness or have been unconscious long enough to produce at least temporary cognitive difficulties. With numbers such as these, it is quite apparent that further empirical studies are needed of these students and their needs. HOLMES,C. B., KIXMILLER, J. S.,
REFERENCE K. I., THOMAS, R. L., & WURTZ,L. K. (1990)
&OR,
Head-injury prevalence among college students. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 8, 142-152.
Accepted September 9, 1991.
O Perceptual and Motor Skills 1991
HEAD-INJURY PREVALENCE AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS ' COOPER B. HOLMES Emporia State University
AND
VICTORIA L. BUZZANGA University of Missouri-Gnsas City
Summary.-835 community college students were surveyed to establish the prevalence of head injury or illness. Results are compared to prevalence rates among 4-year college students.
Holmes, Kixrmller, Minor, Thomas, and Wurtz (1990) reported a prevalence study of head injury/illness among college students. Of 1,168 students, 2.14% were men and 2.23% were women reporting a previously medically diagnosed head injurylillness. An additional 2.23% were men and 3.00% were women each reporting a past unconscious episode of 20 or more minutes. Combining men and women, 4.37% reported a head injurylillness and 5.22% reported a period of unconsciousness. The present study was conducted to ascertain the prevalence rate of head injurylillness among community college students. Men and women students in community colleges were surveyed using the same instrument as Holrnes, et al. (1990). The survey asked students if they had ever had a medically diagnosed head injury/illness or a period of unconsciousness of 20 or more minutes. Demographic data and details of the injury or unconsciousness were obtained. Twenty-one surveys were discarded because data were incomplete or facetious, leaving 835 useable surveys (320 men and 515 women). The students, ages 17 to 60 years, represented over 60 majors and were surveyed in nearly 20 different classes at five two-year institutions: Hesston College (Kansas), Hutchinson Community College (Kansas), Spokane Falls Community College (Washington), St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley (Missouri), and Wharton County Junior College (Texas). Enrollments ranged from about 500 to over 10,000 students. Analysis showed that of the 835 students, 2.04% were men and 2.75% were women reporting a diagnosed head injurylillness (for a combined 4.79% of the students). For 20 or more minutes unconsciousness, 3.15% were men and 5.52% were women reporting such an episode (for a combined 10.66% of the students). No injury or unconsciousness was reported by 84.55% of the students. The mean GPAs of the head-injured group (M = 2.95), unconscious period (3.021, and noninjured (2.91) were not significantly different. The mean age of the group with an unconscious period (M = 18.5 yr.) was
'Requests for re rints or an extended report should be addressed to Cooper B. Holrnes, Department of ~syc!olo~y, Emporia Srate University, Emporia, KS 66801.
498
C. B. HOLMES
& V.
L. BUZZANGA
significantly younger than the means of the other two groups (head injury = 26.1 yr.; noninjured = 22.8 yr.); however, the present data d o not help in focusing an interpretation of this finding. Comparing the data from the present study and the study of 4-year colleges, it is apparent that head injury/illness prevalence rates are almost identical for the 2- and 4-year colleges; however, the rate for a period of unconsciousness of 20 or more minutes was double among the community college students that among those at 4-year colleges. Again, no ready interpretation is apparent. The data from the present study indicate that a large number of community college students have either incurred a diagnosed head injury/illness or have been unconscious long enough to produce at least temporary cognitive difficulties. With numbers such as these, it is quite apparent that further empirical studies are needed of these students and their needs. HOLMES,C. B., KIXMILLER, J. S.,
REFERENCE K. I., THOMAS, R. L., & WURTZ,L. K. (1990)
&OR,
Head-injury prevalence among college students. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 8, 142-152.
Accepted September 9, 1991.
