East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2012
College-Age Males and Oral Human Papillomavirus: Risk factors, Vaccination and Public Health, Justin Sharpe, Sloane Burke, Karen Vail-Smith, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858 The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a causal agent for certain cancers in both females and males. Most recently, the professional literature has established a clear link between oral HPV and cancers of the oropharynx, especially in males. In October 2011, the Centers for Disease Control's Advisory Committee (ACIPO) on Immunization Practices voted unanimously to recommend routine quadrivalent HPV vaccination of 11- and 12-year old boys. The ACIP has recommended HPV vaccination for 9-26 year-old females since 2007 and studies indicate that targeted females have followed this advice. However, experts agree that if the vaccination is to have the greatest potential for prevention of HPV, both males and females need to be immunized.
UP28
This study surveyed 900 male students from East Carolina University's Health 1000 classes to assess their behavioral risk factors associated with increased incidence of oral HPV and their intention to receive the HPV vaccine. Preliminary results indicate that these males are at risk and that public health interventions should target them to promote more widespread HPV vaccination compliance. College Students' Dietary Habits and Perceived Barriers to Following a Healthy Lifestyle, Cecilia Batchelor, Kimberly Heidal, PhD, RD, Department of Nutrition Science, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858 One major challenge college-aged students (18-24) encounter is establishing healthy eating behaviors. Little is known regarding student perceptions of this problem and trends have indicated that college students show higher frequency of consumption of calorically dense meals, which over time can lead to adverse health implications. Data collected using a validated health survey measured diet habits of East Carolina University students and perceived barriers to following a healthy lifestyle. A total of 339 college-aged students with a BMI >18.5 participated. The 59-question survey included years enrolled in college, stress factors, weight influences, cooking practices, and nutrition consumption using food categories. It was hypothesized that college-aged students do not adhere to the MyPyramid recommendations. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 19. The average meals cooked per week by students was 2.56 ± 2.97 while fifty-nine percent reported having the ability to cook well to very well on a Likert scale. Thirty-three percent of students consumed fast food three to five times per week and chose fast food for reasons of convenience, lack of time and availability. Students also claimed they consumed 2.03 ± 1.11 servings of dairy, 1.89 ± 1.09 servings of fruits and 1.8 ± 1.15 servings of vegetables daily. These findings support the hypothesis that college-aged students are not meeting current dietary recommendations and further dietary interventions are needed for this population.
207
UP29