FLASH College Health Study
The FLASH Countdown is On!
Survey Open till June 11, 2012! Daily physical assesments will continue through May 11, 2012!
FLASH college health study is NOW OPEN! On April 2nd an email invite was sent to all full time Cal Poly students (frosh to grad student!) with a hyperlink to begin the 2 step FLASH process. Look below for a detailed instructions about how to get FLASHed
FLASH Progress
For Spring 2012 (As of May 9, 2012):
Questionnaires Returned:2,960! We have exceeded our goal!
Physical Assessments: 1,421 of our 1,500 goal!
Heart Health Subset: 148 of our 200 goal!
Resting Energy Expenditure:just starting on our 70 student goal!
2 Steps:
- Step 1: Online Questionnaire, only takes about 15-30 minutes!
- **Questions, Concerns, and Troubleshooting click here
- Step 2: Physical Assessment, come to one of our several testing centers on campus (Starting April 2nd, exact locations, times & days are below)
*Subset study participants (Heart Health, Vitamin D, and REE studies) will be contacted individually for their appointments, but do need to complete Step 1 & 2 in addition to the subset appointment.
Testing Times and Locations
Testing Times and Locations for May 7- May 11, 2012!
Questionaire Troubleshooting
FLASH is off to a great start, thanks to all the Cal Poly students who have done their part! We have already recieved hundreds of student completed questionnaires. With a study this large there are bound to bound to be technical difficulties which are addressed below.
Please try these steps if you have not been able to access your questionnaire:
- Check your spam/junk/trash folders (all of them)
- Use email search function, search for: survey@webhost.snapsurvey.com (okay to copy and paste, makes your life easier) in all folders
- *If all of these methods fail please email the FLASH team at flash@calpoly.edu
How to Get Involved
To get involved with the study, simply go to one of the individual study pages found in the left navigation or below. There should be instructions on how to participate in the study that applies to you.
If you still have questions or would like to inquire more about any of our studies, please contact FLASH at flash@calpoly.edu.
More about FLASH
The FLASH college health study tracks the health behavior, knowledge and status of students throughout their college career. With this information, STRIDE examines the modifiable risk factors associated with weight gain, obesity and high blood pressure among undergraduate students.
The range of tests performed in the study allows our Assessment Team, a group of students trained in physical health assessments, to gain an understanding of each student's health status and their potential risk for chronic diseases. With this information, the A-Team is able to evaluate the current trends in health-related behaviors.
For more information, check out our NEW FLASH video, produced by our extremely talented videographer: Aaron Bevan.
While the A-Team does not provide any official medical diagnoses or treatment plans, it does offer students with a baseline and ongoing assessment of their overall health and supplies them with plenty of helpful resources. The study currently involves the Cal Poly class of 2013 and 2014 and is the largest research project of its kind.
To get up to date on FLASH, take a look at our STRIDE calendar and note any events that are tagged FLASH. It's just that easy!
Physical Assessment and Questionnaire
To participate in the study, students first fill out an online questionnaire of their health habits and perceptions. After completing this, students are evaluated by the Assessment Team (A-Team), a group of students trained in physical health assessments, who measure the height, weight, BMI, wrist circumference, pulse and blood pressure of participants.
CLICK HERE to get more information on the Physical Assessment and Questionnaire.
Freshmen Heart Health Study
During the Spring quarter, we will also be focusing on the Freshmen Heart Health Study, which involves Cholesterol and Glucose screening. This will determine the risk levels of diabetes and cardiovascular disease among students.
CLICK HERE to get more information about the Freshmen Heart Health Study.
Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) Study
The REE Study is focused on determining the best way for students to effectively manage their weight. Because students generally underestimate their general nutritional intake and overestimate their physical activity, the study uses a 2-part approach to accurately measure the overall health of students.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the testing procedure and equipment used in the REE study.
Vitamin D Study
This study examined vitamin D levels among students by measuring their sun exposure, skin pigmentation, vitamin D intake and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Because Vitamin D is vital to overall health, the study was designed to raise awareness to college students and to educate them on maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Vitamin D study.
How to Get Involved
To get involved with the study, simply go to one of the above pages. There should be instructions on how to participate in the study that applies to you.
If you still have questions or would like to inquire more about any of our studies, please contact FLASH at flash@calpoly.edu.
Previous FLASH College Health Study Findings
In October 2010, the FLASH study found that 31 percent of participating students were overweight or obese, with higher rates in males than females. Elevated blood pressure was common, as well. Seventy percent of males across BMI categories were classified as pre-hypertensive and 7.8 percent as hypertensive. Females had slightly lower rates, with 32.2 percent pre-hypertensive and 1.6 percent hypertensive.
Hypertension in males was positively associated with BMI, while both pre-hypertension and hypertension in females were positively associated with BMI. In additional analyses, the study found no association between dietary factors, physical activity or sleep with high weight, obesity or high blood pressure.
Contact Info
| Photo | Name | Position | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Jane Hurley | Program Manager | (805)756-0673 | jchurley@calpoly.edu |
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Matt Leu | Program Manager | (805)895-0965 | mleu@calpoly.edu |
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Dr. Ann McDermott | Faculty Supervisor | (805)756-6447 | amcdermo@calpoly.edu |
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Veronika Lesiuk | Faculty Supervisor and Data Manager | (805)756-2545 | vlesiuk@calpoly.edu |
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Adam Abudra | Program Manager | (805)756-0673 | aabudra@calpoly.edu |
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Dr. Aydin Nazmi | Faculty Advisor | (805)756-6183 | nazmi@calpoly.edu |
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Dr. David Hey | Faculty Advisor | (805)756-5693 | dhey@calpoly.edu |
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Dr. Laura Hall | Faculty Advisor | (805)756-2958 | lauhall@calpoly.edu |
History of FLASH
In 2009, STRIDE Director Dr. Ann McDermott found that half of Cal Poly students tested in KINE 250 in the 2008-2009 school year had high blood pressure. As a result, a team of professors and student volunteers began the FLASH study as a way to measure the health behaviors and perceptions among college students, as well as the risk factors for elevated blood pressure.
