Abstract
Objective To examine the role of executive functioning (EF) in health self-management and the transition to adult health care among college students. Participants: A total of 378 undergraduate students from a public university participated in the study. Methods: Participants reported on EF, health self-management skills, and their readiness to transition to adult care. Mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate indirect effects of EF on readiness to transition via health self-management skills. Results: Students with greater EF difficulties were less ready to transition to adult care. Specific aspects of health self-management (Medication management/Appointment keeping) mediated the relationship between EF and readiness to transition. Conclusion: EF is a key developmental aspect of health self-management and transition readiness. Assessing EF strengths/weaknesses in students with suboptimal health self-management skills may provide valuable information for informing the development of individually-tailored transition plans in university health centers, thereby enhancing developmentally appropriate care during the college years.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 830-836 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of American College Health |
Volume | 70 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2022 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Executive functioning
- health education
- health self-management
- transition
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health