More Michigan State University students are making healthy decisions when it comes to high-risk behaviors such as drinking and driving, excessive drinking, and tobacco use, according to recently released student health data.

As a result, fewer students are reporting adverse impacts on their academic performance, said Dennis Martell, health education coordinator at Olin Student Health Center.

"Most college students are making very responsible decisions," said Martell, noting that contradicts many of the stereotypes associated with college students' behavior. "While we continue to focus on certain areas where our students need more resources, the data reflect many positive health trends."

The findings are part of MSU's involvement in the National College Health Assessment Survey. More than 1,460 students took part in the survey, which is administered by MSU's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. The survey is done every two years at MSU.

Highlights of the report:

* Continuing a decade-long  increase, 97 percent of students report not driving after five or more drinks (up from 90 percent in 2000), and 74 percent report not driving after having drank anything at all (up from 54 percent in 2000).

* For the first time since MSU took part in the survey, the average blood alcohol content for undergraduate students the "last time they partied" dropped below the legal limit to .074.

* Nearly 75 percent of students reported having only "one" or "none" sexual partners over the past 12 months.

* More than 60 percent of students have never smoked cigarettes, and another 21 percent have not smoked in the previous month.

Thomas Wibert, chief of police for the city of East Lansing, said the university's statistics on excessive drinking and alcohol abuse are supported by his department's figures.

"We have seen declines in many high-risk behaviors and situations," he said. "That speaks highly of the coordination of efforts between the city and campus; we must continue to work together to create an environment where students make smart decisions.

Part of that coordination is MSU's innovative Social Norms project, created in 1998 and nationally recognized. It attempts to bridge the gap between what students think is normal behavior and what actually is the norm.

"The social norms approach has been instrumental in helping to change some of the misperceptions surrounding the use of alcohol among our students; this has in turn resulted in the reduction of some high-risk drinking behaviors," Martell said. "This approach respects what the students tell us they think and do, and in turn it supports the positive normative beliefs and behaviors they actually use  to stay healthy. Through our collaborative efforts, we have begun the slow process of changing the culture of alcohol use overall in our community."

While progress has been made in several areas of student health, the survey does reveal areas where MSU must continue to focus resources, Martell said. For example, 33 percent of students reported their financial situation was traumatic or very difficult for them in the past 12 months. A rising number of students feeling financial pressures has prompted Student Health Services to offer a financial wellness program, Martell said, as well as continue efforts such as the MSU Student Food Bank.

In regards to mental health, nearly 50 percent of students reported feeling more than average or tremendous amounts of stress in the past 12 months. And more than 25 percent of students reported that at least once in the past year they felt so depressed it was difficult to function.

"We exist to support student development, retention and graduation, and anything short of that is an unacceptable outcome," Martell said. "This survey helps us identify areas where we need as a university to focus efforts."

For a full copy of the survey results, go to http://www.ippsr.msu.edu/NCHA/Results.htm. For more information on the Social Norms program, visit http://socialnorms.msu.edu/; for details on the financial wellness program and other health education services offered at Olin, visit http://olin.msu.edu.

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