Relationship of Emotional Intelligence to Perceived Stress in Combined Master's of Science and Dietetic Internship Programs.

BACKGROUND: Emotional intelligence (EI) is often studied with perceived stress in students in health professions fields such as nursing but not dietetics. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of EI to perceived stress in graduate dietetic students in Combined Master's of Science (MS) and Dietetic Internship (DI) programs. METHODS: EI and perceived stress were collected using the Schutte EI Scale and Perceived Stress Scale-10, respectively. One hundred and two (n=102) graduate dietetic students were recruited through their program directors. All participants had to be enrolled in, and have completed at least one semester, in an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)-accredited combined MS/DI program. RESULTS: Graduate dietetic students with higher EI are more likely to have lower perceived stress (r= -0.305, p=0.002). Females had significantly higher perceived stress scores than males (p=0.011). EI scores between female and males was found to be not significant (p=0.082). Perceived stress was significantly associated with class size (r=0.223, p=0.025). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that graduate dietetic students with higher EI scores have lower self-perceived stress. Increasing EI skills in graduate dietetic students might help reduce stress levels and create better coping skills.

Protective behavioral strategies and negative alcohol-related consequences in college students.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol abuse among college students is associated with a quality of life burden. The current study replicated and extended previous research on protective behavioral strategies (PBS) by examining relationships between PBS use and negative alcohol-related consequences. METHOD: A national sample of 29,792 U.S. college students who completed the National College Health Assessment during spring 2004 was included. Using a retrospective analysis of cross-sectional data, relationships between PBS use and negative alcohol-related consequences were examined. RESULTS: Greater PBS use was associated with fewer negative alcohol-related consequences, while less frequent use of PBS was correlated with increased negative alcohol-related consequences. DISCUSSION: The current study findings strongly support expanded educational alcohol-intervention programs promoting greater PBS use aimed at reducing or completely alleviating negative alcohol-related consequences (e.g., BASICS, ASTP). Future research should further investigate such PBS-based intervention programs, examine the existence of latent PBS, and study use of combined PBS.

Purging and alcohol-related effects in college women.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research indicates that college students who purge are more likely to consume alcohol in an unhealthy manner. The current study replicates and extends a previous study but employs a much larger, national sample. This study addresses 2 questions: (a) Are 18-24-year-old college women who purge more likely to engage in high-risk alcohol behavior? (b) Are 18-24-year-old alcohol-drinking college women who purge more likely to report greater negative consequences of alcohol use. METHOD: 47,202 U.S. students completed the National College Health Assessment during Spring 2004. Alcohol consumption and negative alcohol-related consequences were compared in purging and nonpurging groups. RESULTS: Respondents who purged reported heavier alcohol use and more negative consequences. CONCLUSION: The current study expands previous research regarding the association between purging behaviors and consequences of alcohol use. Further research is necessary to elucidate the most effective prevention and treatment programs.