During my Spring semester of 2023, I completed HLTH 380W (Health Education Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating 1. This course requires planning a health promotion and health education program. The purpose was to research and develop a health plan individually. Each health plan needed to be different from the other, so there were no similar health plans among 20 students. I have wanted to research on my own since my previous semester related to health sciences, and finally, I got the chance. My topic for my health plan was: “Sleeping patterns in college students”. The topic for my health plan is related to all college students because, at some point in college, we all lose sleep so we can finish our assignments on time. Hearing complaints about not having enough sleep from most of my friends, and being part of these complaints, I believed choosing this topic helped me explore some sort of solution for most of my college friends and myself.

 

This plan was designed to increase awareness of sleeping patterns among college students and provide information about the effects of sleep deprivation on academic performance and everyday life activities. For this health plan, I started researching WebMD and the CDC( Center for Disease Control and Prevention) website, a national database, and a data-driven website for public health issues. To determine the credibility of the sources from these websites, I checked for factors like the reputation of the author or organization, the accuracy, and the timeline of the information I am looking for. While doing my research, I was focused on finding information and data about the importance of sleep, how it impacts college students' daily lives, and how to get a better good night's sleep. I set out my objectives and goals for this health plan which were that by the end of this program, college students would be able to increase their total sleep time by at least 30 minutes per night, and reduce the number of times they wake up at night by at least 50%.

 

From the process of identifying and refining research questions for my health plan, I learned that I should be asking questions for the general public related to the area of interest, in this case how sleeping patterns affect the lifestyle of college students. After that, I began doing specific research with at least 20 volunteer college students to see how much sleep they get on average, the factors influencing their sleep quality, and how all these factors impact their academic performance. The volunteers for my research were Applied Health Science students, who found out about my health plan through their professor during class, where they were provided with a sign-up sheet for volunteering. My main population focus for this health plan was Minnesota State University students, where I successfully gathered data from at least 20 college students for my sleeping pattern survey. I had a survey prepared for this research which I designed myself with 10 questions related to the quality of sleep at night for college students. I had success in collecting and analyzing data that affect sleep quality and discovering sleep patterns that contribute to better health outcomes. From my survey, I was able to learn that most students at Minnesota State University get 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night, which is less than the minimum of hours an adult should get. I also learned that this happened mostly because of homework deadlines, or having to hang out with friends late at night. Most college students are feeling burned out because of the deadlines they need to follow, and also feel peer pressure from their friends if they do not get to hang out with them late at night. All of these factors combined, bring a lack of sleep in these students, which leads to poor performance in their school work and bad grades.

 

I did a 10-minute presentation in front of my classmates and professor, where I explained in detail my finished health plan and provided a survey at the end of the presentation for evaluation that I might need for further research on this topic. While I was giving the presentation, my classmates also gave each their own feedback about my presentation, which will be used for further research too, but that was how my grade would be finalized for this presentation. Being able to present my research to an audience, in this case, my classmates, was a big challenge for me, since I start getting anxious when I speak in front of too many people. I felt proud of myself for doing the presentation and also for answering questions after I was done. Overcoming my shyness and anxiety about public speaking can be one of the biggest things the Honors Program has helped me with. I practiced a lot by myself at home, while using my roommates as an audience and I must say, that helped me a lot. Doing this research helped me learn a lot about how important is to be confident when you know you have worked for it and are prepared.

 

Going forward, I will be able to apply my information literacy skills, by finding credible resources and evaluating them, and also by being able to explain in detail a large amount of information. I can use those skills in my personal life and professional life. Being part of HLTH 380W has prepared me better for my future research experience in the Honors Program and in my academic research. By being part of this class, I was able to analyze and interpret health information and synthesize multiple resources of information to address a specific health issue. Through this research health plan program that I developed, I will better understand how the healthcare work market works for a Health Educator Specialist. I was able to have real experience in gathering data and analyzing them for a public health issue.

​

Artifact: