American College Health Association National College Health Assessment Spring 2006 Reference Group data report (abridged).

OBJECTIVE Assessing and understanding the health needs and capacities of college students is paramount to creating healthy campus communities. The American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) is a survey developed by the ACHA in 1998 to assist institutions of higher education in achieving this goal. The ACHA-NCHA contains approximately 300 questions assessing student health status and health problems, risk and protective behaviors, and impediments to academic performance. PARTICIPANTS The Spring 2006 Reference Group includes ACHA-NCHA data from 94,806 students at 117 institutions of higher education. METHOD SUMMARY Officials at participating institutions administered the ACHA-NCHA to all students, to randomly selected students, or to students in randomly selected classrooms. Data were collected between January and May 2006. RESULTS Results from the Spring 2006 Reference Group (N = 94,806) are presented. CONCLUSIONS Data from the ACHA-NCHA Spring 2006 Reference Group expand the understanding of the health needs and capacities of college students.