Examining Gender Differences in Quality of Life Issues among URI Students

Bettina B. Höppner Spring 2003SQOLAS Project

Presentation prepared for the President’s Commission on the Status of Women

The SQOLAS Project SQOLAS = Student Quality of Life and

Satisfaction Supported by

Student Affairs (Thomas R. Dougan) Counseling Center (James F. Campbell)

Campus assessments to date: Housing and Residential Life Survey:

1997-2002 Counseling Center Survey: 1993-2002 SQOLAS Survey: 1997-2001 Career Services Survey: 1997, 2001 Diversity Climate Assessment: 2001 Dining Services: 1998

Relevant Data Stress and coping

SQOLAS: 2001 Health

SQOLAS: 2001 Personal safety

HRL: 1999-2002 Sexual harassment

Counseling Center: 1993-2002 ‘chilly environment’

Diversity Climate Assessment: 2001

Quality of Life – campus-wide

2001

Stress and Coping

Frequency rating of experienced stress/successful coping

0 = never 4 = frequently

Gender difference Stress: Coping:

0

1

2

3

4

stress coping

women (n=273)men (n=143)

Health: Common Ailments

Frequency rating (within 1 year)

1 = never 2 = 1-2 times 3 = 3-4 times 4 = 5-6 times 5 = 7+ times

Gender differences: Common cold: Headache: Sore throat: Abdominal pain:

1

2

3

4

5

cold head throat abdomen

women (n=265)men (n=141)

Health: Infections

Frequency rating (within 1 year)

1 = never 2 = 1-2 times 3 = 3-4 times 4 = 5-6 times 5 = 7+ times

Gender differences: Ear infection: Urinary tract infection: Sinus infection: Influenza:

1

2

3

4

5

ear urinary sinus flu

women (n=272)men (n=140)

Health: Conditions

Frequency rating (within 1 year)

1 = never 2 = 1-2 times 3 = 3-4 times 4 = 5-6 times 5 = 7+ times

Gender differences: Back pain: Heart palpitation: High blood pressure:

1

2

3

4

5

back heart blood

women (n=270)men (n=140)

Health: Breathing

Frequency rating (within 1 year)

1 = never 2 = 1-2 times 3 = 3-4 times 4 = 5-6 times 5 = 7+ times

Gender differences: Tightness in chest: Asthma attacks: Shortness of breath:

1

2

3

4

5

chest asthma breath

women (n=272)men (n=140)

Health: Miscellaneous

Frequency rating (within 1 year)

1 = never 2 = 1-2 times 3 = 3-4 times 4 = 5-6 times 5 = 7+ times

Gender differences: Broken/fractured bone: Sexually transmitted disease: Blacking out/passing out:

1

2

3

4

5

bone STD blackout

women (n=271)men (n=140)

Counseling Center

1993 - 2002

Counseling Center Clients

0

100

200

300

400

500

93-94 95-96 97-98 99-00 01-'02

number of clients

femalemale

Main Counseling Topics

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

female male

stress

depressionrelationships

academiclonely

breakupreferral

Other Counseling Topics

0%2%4%6%8%

10%12%14%

women men

eating

lossassault

sexualsuicide

alcohol/drugsgay/ lesbian

harassmentgambling

Physical/Sexual Assault

0

10

20

30

40

50

93-94 95-96 97-98 99-00 01-'02

number of clients

femalemale

Physical/Sexual Assault (%)

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

93-94 95-96 97-98 99-00 01-'02

percentage of clients

femalemale

Racial/Ethnic/Sexual Harassment

0

2

4

6

8

10

93-94 95-96 97-98 99-00 01-'02

number of clients

femalemale

Racial/Ethnic/Sexual Harassment (%)

0%

1%

2%

3%

93-94 95-96 97-98 99-00 01-'02

percentage of clients

femalemale

Housing and Residential Life

1999 - 2002

Dormitory Safety 1999

Agreement rating 1 = strongly disagree 4 = strongly agree

Gender difference Inside safety: No/some (F(1,526)=3.64; t=1.91) Outside safety: No/some (F(1,526)=3.64; t=1.91)

1

2

3

4

inside safety outside safety

women (n=287)men (n=241)

Dormitory Safety 2000

Satisfaction rating 1 = almost never satisfied 4 = always satisfied

Gender difference Inside safety: Outside safety: No/some (F(1,705)=3.43; t=1.85)

1

2

3

4

inside safety outside safety

women (n=432)men (n=275)

Dormitory Safety 2001

Satisfaction rating 1 = almost never satisfied 4 = always satisfied

Gender difference Inside safety: Outside safety:

1

2

3

4

inside safety outside safety

women (n=293)men (n=215)

Dormitory Safety 2002

Satisfaction rating 1 = almost never satisfied 5 = always satisfied

Gender difference Inside safety: Outside safety: Exterior lighting:

1

2

3

4

5

inside safetyoutside safety exteriorlighting

women (n=286)men (n=206)

Diversity Climate

2001

Diversity Climate 2001 Sample

149 URI students 72.3% Caucasian 61.5% lower class standing 59.7% female 0.7% gay/lesbian/bisexual 0.7% with disability

Measure Campus Diversity Questionnaire (CDQ-R)

(Landrum,Vandernoot, & Dillinger, 1999) Rating of campus climate regarding multicultural

issues (ethnic background, sexual orientation, disability)

Diversity Climate: Subscales

Agreement rating 1 = strongly disagree 5 = strongly agree

↑ score = positive perception of climate

Gender difference Ethnicity: Disability: Sexual orientation:

1

2

3

4

5

ethnicity disability sexualorientation

female (n=89)male (n=58)

Diversity Climate: Items

Agreement rating 1 = strongly disagree 5 = strongly agree

Gender difference Diversity strengthens communities: Diversity enhances economy: People w/ disabilities feel comfortable at URI:

1

2

3

4

5

strengthenscommunities

enhanceseconomy

disabled feelcomfortable

femalemale