Wellness Services conducts the American College Health Association’s (ACHA) National College Health Assessment (NCHA) on a bi-annual basis. The NCHA supports the health of the campus community by highlighting short- and long-term health behaviors and gaining a current profile of health trends within the campus community.
The following results are specific to the Boise State University campus. To compare to national standards, please select the highlighted “national reference group” for each corresponding year.Â
Not all results received have been reported on this page. For the complete executive summary, or to see previous survey results, please contact The Office of Wellness Services at wellness@boisestate.edu.
Demographics and Sample Characteristics
Response Rate
- 743 total respondents of a randomized sample of 5,000
- 14.9% response rates
Age
| Age |
Percent |
| 18-20 years |
30.2% |
| 21-24 years |
25.5% |
| 25-29 years |
16.0% |
| 30+ years |
28.3 |
Gender
| Gender |
Percent |
| Female |
68.4% |
| Male |
28.1% |
| Non-binary |
2.8% |
Student Status
| Status |
Percent |
| 18-20 years |
30.2% |
| 1st year undergraduate |
16.4% |
| 2nd year undergraduate |
13.6% |
| 3rd year undergraduate |
19.1% |
| 4th year undergraduate |
17.5% |
| 5th year or more undergraduate |
7.9% |
| Master’s (MA, MS, MFA, MBA, etc.) |
19.6% |
| Doctorate (PhD, EdD, MD, JD, etc.) |
2.8% |
| Not seeking a degree |
0.9% |
| Other |
2.2% |
| Full-time student |
75.0% |
| Part-time student |
24.1% |
| Other student |
1.0% |
Identity
| Identity |
Percent |
| Straight/Heterosexual |
83.9% |
| Asexual |
0.9% |
| Bisexual |
6.6% |
| Gay |
1.9% |
| Lesbian |
2.2% |
| Pansexual |
2.0% |
| Queer |
0.7% |
| Questioning |
1.4% |
| Identity not listed above |
0.4% |
Housing
| Housing |
Percent |
| 18-20 years |
30.2% |
| 1st year undergraduate |
16.4% |
| 2nd year undergraduate |
13.6% |
| 3rd year undergraduate |
19.1% |
| 4th year undergraduate |
17.5% |
| 5th year or more undergraduate |
7.9% |
| Master’s (MA, MS, MFA, MBA, etc.) |
19.6% |
| Doctorate (PhD, EdD, MD, JD, etc.) |
2.8% |
| Not seeking a degree |
0.9% |
| Other |
2.2% |
| Full-time student |
75.0% |
| Part-time student |
24.1% |
| Other student |
1.0% |
First-Generation
The proportion of students for whom no parent/guardian have completed a bachelor’s degree
Member of a social fraternity or sorority
| Identity |
Percent |
| Straight/Heterosexual |
83.9% |
| Asexual |
0.9% |
| Bisexual |
6.6% |
| Gay |
1.9% |
| Lesbian |
2.2% |
| Pansexual |
2.0% |
| Queer |
0.7% |
| Questioning |
1.4% |
| Identity not listed above |
0.4% |
Ethnicity
| Ethnicity |
Percent |
| American Indian or Native Alaskan |
3.0% |
| Asian or Asian American |
4.7% |
| Black or African American |
1.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino/a/x |
9.7% |
| Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) or Arab Origin |
0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander Native |
0.8% |
| White |
82.9% |
| Biracial or Multiracial |
2.4% |
| Identify not listed above |
1.2% |
A. General Health and Campus Climate
General Finding
- 52.0 % of college students surveyed ( 61.4 % male and 48.9 % female) described their health as very good or excellent.
Sense of Belonging
Proportion of college students who reported they agree or strongly agree that:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| I feel that I belong at my college/university |
67.0 |
70.6 |
69.1 |
| I feel that students’ health and well-being is a priority at my college/university |
49.8 |
55.0 |
52.6 |
| At my college/university, I feel that the campus climate encourages free and open discussion of students’ health and well-being |
56.0 |
58.0 |
56.4 |
| At my college/university, we are a campus where we look out for each other |
46.6 |
53.2 |
50.3 |
B. Nutrition, BMI, Physical Activity, and Food Security
General Finding
- 52.0 % of college students surveyed ( 61.4 % male and 48.9 % female) described their health as very good or excellent.
Sense of Belonging
Proportion of college students who reported they agree or strongly agree that:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| I feel that I belong at my college/university |
67.0 |
70.6 |
69.1 |
| I feel that students’ health and well-being is a priority at my college/university |
49.8 |
55.0 |
52.6 |
| At my college/university, I feel that the campus climate encourages free and open discussion of students’ health and well-being |
56.0 |
58.0 |
56.4 |
| At my college/university, we are a campus where we look out for each other |
46.6 |
53.2 |
50.3 |
C. Health Care Utilization
General Findings
College students reported:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Receiving psychological or mental health services within the last 12 months |
16.3 |
30.3 |
27.0 |
| Visiting a medical provider within the last 12 months |
63.6 |
81.5 |
76.4 |
D. Impediments to Academic Performance
Affected Academic Performance
Problems or challenges in the last 12 months:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Career |
10.0 |
15.4 |
13.9 |
| Finances |
15.3 |
16.9 |
17.1 |
| Procrastination |
45.0 |
37.4 |
39.7 |
| Faculty |
3.8 |
5.7 |
5.5 |
| Family |
9.1 |
11.6 |
11.0 |
| Intimate Relationships |
11.0 |
11.8 |
11.4 |
| Roommate/housemate |
4.3 |
7.1 |
6.5 |
| Peers |
2.4 |
4.5 |
4.2 |
| Personal appearance |
4.8 |
6.5 |
6.2 |
| Health of someone close to me |
11.5 |
9.8 |
10.5 |
| Death of a family member, friend, or someone close to me |
6.2 |
11.4 |
9.8 |
| Bullying |
1.9 |
2.4 |
2.3 |
| Cyberbullying |
1.0 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
| Hazing |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
| Microaggression |
1.4 |
2.2 |
2.4 |
| Sexual Harassment |
1.0 |
1.8 |
1.6 |
| Discrimination |
2.4 |
2.4 |
2.6 |
E. Violence, Abusive Relationships, and Personal Safety
Sense of Safety
College students reported feeling very safe :
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| On their campus (daytime) |
87.1 |
78.2 |
80.6 |
| On their campus (nighttime) |
61.4 |
21.5 |
33.1 |
| In the community surrounding their campus (daytime) |
73.7 |
57.9 |
62.1 |
| In the community surrounding their campus (nighttime) |
40.7 |
16.9 |
23.9 |
Violence & Abusive Relationships
Within the last 12 months, college students reported experiencing:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| A physical fight |
3.4 |
1.6 |
2.0 |
| A physical assault (not sexual assault) |
1.4 |
2.0 |
1.9 |
| A verbal threat |
9.6 |
9.7 |
10.0 |
| Sexual touching without their consent |
2.9 |
6.3 |
5.4 |
| Sexual penetration attempt without their consent |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.1 |
| Sexual penetration without their consent |
.5 |
1.2 |
1.1 |
| Being a victim of stalking |
1.9 |
3.8 |
3.7 |
| A partner called me names, insulted me, or put me down to make me feel bad |
10.0 |
14.2 |
13.0 |
| A partner often insisted on knowing who I was with and where I was or tried to limit my contact with family or friends |
5.7 |
6.7 |
6.4 |
| A partner pushed, grabbed, shoved, slapped, kicked, bit, choked or hit me without my consent |
4.3 |
2.6 |
3.1 |
| A partner forced me into unwanted sexual contact by holding me down or hurting me in some way |
1.0 |
1.4 |
1.2 |
| A partner pressured me into unwanted sexual contact by threatening me, coercing me, or using alcohol or other drugs |
1.4 |
2.4 |
2.2 |
F. Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drug Use
General Findings
Reported ever using:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Tobacco or nicotine delivery products (cigarettes, ecigarettes, Juul or other vape products, water pipe or hookah, chewing tobacco, cigars, etc.) |
49.8 |
35.6 |
39.7 |
| Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, liquor, etc.) |
74.2 |
78.1 |
77.3 |
| Cannabis (marijuana, weed, hash, edibles, vaped cannabis, etc.) [Please report nonmedical use only.] |
42.8 |
43.7 |
44.1 |
| Prescription opioids (morphine, codeine, fentanyl, oxycodone [OxyContin, Percocet], hydrocodone [Vicodin], methadone, buprenorphine [Suboxone], etc.) [Please report nonmedical use only.] |
7.2 |
5.7 |
6.5 |
Tobacco and Nicotine Delivery Products
*Reported using tobacco or nicotine delivery products used in the last 3 months:
*These figures use all students in the sample as the denominator, rather than just those students who reported tobacco or nicotine delivery product use in the last 3 months.
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Cigarettes |
11.0 |
6.5 |
7.9 |
| E-cigarettes or other vape products (for example: Juul, etc.) |
20.6 |
12.8 |
14.8 |
| Water pipe or hookah |
1.9 |
1.0 |
1.3 |
| Chewing or smokeless tobacco |
3.8 |
0.6 |
1.5 |
| Cigars or little cigars |
9.1 |
1.6 |
3.9 |
| Other |
3.3 |
0.2 |
1.1 |
Driving Under the Influence
- 17.8 % of college students reported driving after having any alcohol in the last 30 days.* *Only students who reported driving in the last 30 days and drinking alcohol in the last 30 days were asked this question.
- 33.0 % of college students reported driving within 6 hours of using cannabis/marijuana in the last 30 days.* *Only students who reported driving in the last 30 days and using cannabis in the last 30 days were asked this question
Alcohol Consumption
*Reported number of drinks consumed the last time students drank alcohol in a social setting.
*Only students who reported drinking alcohol in the last three months were asked this question
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| 4 or fewer |
69.2 |
82.9 |
78.8 |
| 5 |
8.9 |
6.3 |
7.0 |
| 6 |
10.3 |
5.3 |
6.8 |
| 7 or more |
11.6 |
5.5 |
7.4 |
*College students who drank alcohol reported experiencing the following in the last 12 months when drinking
alcohol:
*Only students who reported drinking alcohol in the last 12 months were asked these questions.
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Did something I later regretted |
15.3 |
19.7 |
18.4 |
| Blackout (forgot where I was or what I did for a large period of time and cannot remember, even when someone reminds me) |
13.3 |
14.1 |
14.0 |
| Brownout (forgot where I was or what I did for short periods of time, but can remember once someone reminds me) |
24.7 |
21.4 |
22.4 |
| Got in trouble with the police |
1.3 |
0.7 |
0.8 |
| Got in trouble with college/university authorities |
2.5 |
0.7 |
1.2 |
| Someone had sex with me without my consent |
0.6 |
1.7 |
1.5 |
| Had sex with someone without their consent |
0.6 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
| Had unprotected sex |
15.2 |
10.9 |
11.9 |
| Physically injured myself |
6.3 |
5.4 |
5.5 |
| Physically injured another person |
1.3 |
0.7 |
1.0 |
| Seriously considered suicide |
2.5 |
1.7 |
2.2 |
| Needed medical help |
1.9 |
1.0 |
1.2 |
| Reported one or more of the above |
24.0 |
24.3 |
24.1 |
G. Sexual Behavior
Oral Sex
When, if ever, was the last time you had oral sex:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Never |
26.8 |
22.7 |
23.9 |
| Within the last 2 weeks |
32.5 |
34.3 |
33.5 |
| More than 2 weeks ago but within the last 30 days |
8.6 |
8.0 |
8.0 |
| More than 30 days ago but within the last 3 months |
11.5 |
9.4 |
10.1 |
| More than 3 months ago but within the last 12 months |
7.2 |
12.4 |
11.0 |
| More than 12 months ago |
13.4 |
13.3 |
13.5 |
Vaginal Sex
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Never |
28.5 |
23.5 |
25.1 |
| Within the last 2 weeks |
41.5 |
47.8 |
45.6 |
| More than 2 weeks ago but within the last 30 days |
5.8 |
5.6 |
5.5 |
| More than 30 days ago but within the last 3 months |
9.2 |
6.6 |
7.5 |
| More than 3 months ago but within the last 12 months |
6.8 |
7.8 |
7.5 |
| More than 12 months ago |
8.2 |
8.8 |
8.9 |
Anal Sex
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Never |
72.0 |
70.9 |
70.8 |
| Within the last 2 weeks |
4.3 |
2.6 |
3.3 |
| More than 2 weeks ago but within the last 30 days |
2.9 |
1.6 |
1.9 |
| More than 30 days ago but within the last 3 months |
3.9 |
4.0 |
3.8 |
| More than 3 months ago but within the last 12 months |
2.9 |
5.2 |
4.7 |
| More than 12 months ago |
14.0 |
15.6 |
15.5 |
Use of Barrier Methods
College students who reported having oral sex, or vaginal or anal intercourse within the last 30 days who reported using a condom or another protective barrier most of the time or always:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Oral Sex |
4.7 |
4.3 |
4.3 |
| Vaginal Sex |
35.7 |
28.2 |
30.2 |
| Anal Sex |
26.7 |
23.8 |
26.3 |
Pregnancy Prevention
College students who reported having vaginal intercourse (penis in vagina) within the last 12 months were asked if they or their partner used any method to prevent pregnancy the last time they had vaginal intercourse:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Yes, used a method of contraception |
75.6 |
81.7 |
80.1 |
| No, did not want to prevent pregnancy |
6.9 |
5.0 |
5.6 |
| No, did not use any method |
16.0 |
13.0 |
13.7 |
| Don’t know |
1.5 |
0.3 |
0.6 |
H. Mental Health and Wellbeing
Kessler 6 (K6) Non-Specific Psychological Distress Score (Range is 0-24)
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| No or low psychological distress (0-8) |
70.2 |
68.5 |
68.3 |
| Moderate psychological distress (9-12) |
15.1 |
17.0 |
16.6 |
| Serious psychological distress (13-24) |
14.6 |
14.5 |
15.0 |
UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS3) Score (Range is 3-9)
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Negative for loneliness (3-5) |
60.3 |
59.9 |
59.8 |
| Positive for loneliness (6-9) |
39.7 |
40.1 |
40.2 |
Overall Stress Experienced
Within the last 12 months, how would you rate the overall level of stress experienced:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| No stress |
5.7 |
1.8 |
2.8 |
| Low |
29.7 |
22.6 |
24.5 |
| Moderate |
49.3 |
50.2 |
49.9 |
| High |
15.3 |
25.4 |
22.8 |
I. Acute Conditions
Experienced Acute Conditions
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Cold/virus or other respiratory illness (for example: sinus infection, ear infection, strep throat, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, or laryngitis) |
22.5 |
41.0 |
35.7 |
| Flu (influenza) or flu-like illness |
14.4 |
14.6 |
14.6 |
| Orthopedic injury (for example: broken bone, fracture, sprain, bursitis, tendinitis, or ligament injury) |
9.2 |
10.1 |
9.9 |
J. Ongoing or Chronic Conditions
Mental Health
College students reported ever being diagnosed with the following:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| ADD/ADHD – Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder |
12.9 |
9.1 |
10.6 |
| Anxiety (for example: Generalized Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Specific Phobia) |
17.2 |
35.1 |
30.4 |
| Depression (for example: Major depression, persistent depressive disorder, disruptive mood disorder) |
15.9 |
28.0 |
25.2 |
| Eating Disorders (for example: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-Eating) |
1.4 |
4.4 |
3.4 |
| Insomnia |
3.4 |
8.3 |
7.1 |
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Genital herpes |
0.0 |
1.6 |
1.1 |
| Hepatitis B or C |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
| HIV or AIDS |
0.0 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
| Human papillomavirus (HPV) or genital warts |
0.5 |
5.9 |
4.2 |
Diabetes
Total representation of students reported they have been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes/insulin resistance:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Ever diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes/insulin resistance |
1.9 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
Students who reported being diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes/insulin resistance, indicated they had:
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Type I Diabetes |
25.0 |
25.0 |
21.1 |
| Type II Diabetes |
25.0 |
8.3 |
10.5 |
| Pre-diabetes or insulin resistance |
50.0 |
62.5 |
65.2 |
| Gestational Diabetes |
0.0 |
15.4 |
15.0 |
K. Sleep
General Findings
Reported amount of time to usually fall asleep at night (sleep onset latency):
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Less than 15 minutes |
51.4 |
46.0 |
47.6 |
| 16 to 30 minutes |
25.0 |
25.2 |
24.8 |
| 31 minutes or more |
23.6 |
28.8 |
27.6 |
Over the last 2 weeks, students reported the following average amount of sleep
(excluding naps):
| % |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Less than 7 hours |
43.1 |
40.8 |
42.2 |
| 7 to 9 hours |
56.5 |
57.6 |
56.5 |
| 10 or more hours |
0.5 |
1.6 |
1.4 |