Honors Theses
Advisor
Molly Malany Sayre, Ph.D., and Leslie H. Picca, Ph.D.
Department
Sociology
Publication Date
4-22-2026
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Abstract
In my Honors Thesis Research Project, I studied University of Dayton (UD) students' health literacy and well-being. Well-being is a state of being comfortable and happy. It includes mental well-being and physical activity. Mental well-being is a state of positive psychological, social, and emotional health. Physical activity is bodily movement that promotes physical health. Health literacy is the ability of someone to understand and effectively use health information to make well-informed decisions regarding their health. This project is important because college represents a time when young adults begin to manage their well-being and healthcare independently from their parents or guardians. I hypothesized that in UD students, health literacy and well-being would be positively correlated, such that higher levels of health literacy would be associated with greater well-being. I conducted a questionnaire that collected data on students’ health literacy, well-being, and demographic characteristics. Results of quantitative analyses of the data revealed nonlinear relationships between physical activity and health literacy, as well as between mental well-being and health literacy. Therefore, there was not a significant correlation between health literacy and well-being in this sample. These results suggest that the relationship may be more complex than initially hypothesized. Further research should continue to explore connections between health literacy and well-being in college students.
Permission Statement
This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes.
Keywords
Undergraduate research
eCommons Citation
Upchurch, Olivia R., "UD College Student Health Literacy and Well-Being" (2026). Honors Theses. 525.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/uhp_theses/525
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