Maisha Parnell, BS¹, Josel Bernardo, BS², Colleen Maloney, BS², Charmaine Miller, BS², Octavian Poenaru, BS², Beatrice Wiafe, BS², R. Patti Herring, PhD, RN¹, Heather Diaz, MPH³, Susanne B. Montgomery, PhD, MPH², and Julie Pham, BS³. (1) Health Promotion & Education, Loma Linda University, School of Public Health, Nichol Hall, Loma Linda, CA 92350, 909/558-8729, pmaisha@hotmail.com, (2) Dept. of Health Promotion & Education, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, Nicol Hall Room 1511, Loma Linda, CA 92350, (3) Health Promotion & Education, Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Nichol Hall, Loma Linda, CA 92350

Public health students enter the field to address health challenges facing others. However, the literature indicates that students often as a result of study related stress encounter challenges to health protective behaviors (good nutrition, exercise, etc.) and are more likely to engage in alcohol, tobacco and drug use and risky sexual behaviors. Because LLU SPH is a Seventh-day Adventist institution with strict lifestyle regulations, one may expect a substantially lower incidence of such problems. To test this hypothesis and implement a pilot on-site wellness program, a needs assessment process was conducted by and for public health students. Students expressed challenges and opinions regarding personal health and wellness, and gave input on how to best tailor a program to meet their needs. In addition to ethnographic observations, 18 key informant interviews and one confirmatory focus group were conducted. Respondents were identified through theoretical sampling and interviewed using a theory based key informant outline. Using grounded theory methods, the resulting transcripts were coded and themed for emerging response patterns. Results indicate that students struggle with stress, lack of sleep, poor nutrition (because of a lack of healthy food choices in the vending machines, and/or a lack of a healthy snack bar), poor social and personal relationships, isolation and lack of time to engage in some forms of exercise to stay fit and/or reduce stress. Accordingly, a pilot program is being developed, implemented and process and impact evaluations conducted. Results will be analyzed for program sustainability and improvement.

Learning Objectives: