Influences of Pre-Collegiate Civic Engagement on Well-Being Among Emerging Adults

Background

Youth aged 18-25 have high-risk for mental health concerns including depression, substance abuse, and anxiety (Swaner, 2007; Cranford, Eisenberg, & Serras, 2009). Civic engagement may be protective against this increased risk for emerging adults (Astin & Sax, 1998; Haidt & Keyes, 2003). This study examines relationships between civic activity and well-being among first-year undergraduate students with two research questions: Is civic activity prior to entering college associated with well-being as first-year undergraduates begin their college careers? Is civic activity during the first-year of college associated with well-being at the end of the first-year of undergraduate studies?

Methods

Prior to fall-term 2012, incoming first-year, undergraduate students (N=1,274), at a private research university were invited to an online survey. Fall-term respondents were invited to complete a follow-up survey (spring-term 2013). Fall-term and follow-up surveys included measures of pre-collegiate civically-oriented activities (BTtoP Project Team, n.d.) and measures of well-being: flourishing (Keyes, 2006) and college self-efficacy (Solberg et al., 1993). The follow-up survey added questions about participation in civic-oriented activities during the first-year of college.

Results

Analyses were conducted in SPSS (N = 211; 68% female; 72% white; mean age 18.14 yrs.). Linear regressions assessed influence of  pre-collegiate civic-oriented activity on flourishing (fall-term α=.91; follow-up α=.92) and college self-efficacy (fall-term α = .93; follow-up α = .91) prior to fall-term classes. Pre-collegiate civic activity was associated with flourishing, accounting for 5.0% of the variance (p<.001) and with college self-efficacy, accounting for 16.0% of the variance (p<.001).  Hierarchical linear regressions, controlling for fall-term well-being, assessed influence of civic activity during the first-year of college on end-of-the-year flourishing and college self-efficacy respectively. Results for the model controlling for fall-term flourishing, demonstrated minor influence of civic acvitity durning the first-year of college on end-of-the-year flourishing (4.5% of the variance; p<.05). Results of the model controlling for fall-term college self-efficay, demonstrated that civic activity during the first-year was not statistically significant for end-of-the-year college self-efficacy. 

Conclusions and Implications

Significant associations between pre-collegiate civic activity, flourishing and self-efficacy among incoming first-year undergraduate students suggests the importance of civic activity during highschool as a foundation for well-being when commencing undergraduate studies. While pre-collegiate civic activity accounted for only 5% of the variance in flourishing, a small association with flourishing is meaningful due to increased mental health risk during emerging adulthood. Pre-collegiate civic activity accounted for 16% of the variance in college self-efficacy suggesting civic engagement in high school may be an important ingredient for college readiness. Analyses also revealed that civic activity during the first-year had small, but significant effects on end-of-year flourishing, but no significant influence on end-of-the-year college self-efficacy. Findings suggest that high-school civic activity may be protective as students commence undergraduate studies and that civic engagement during the first-year may be protective for floushing at the end of the first-year. Limitations inherent in this study include: low response rate of 36%, with 65% percent retention for follow-up survey; no controls for family, social class, and ethnicity factors associated rates of flourishing and college self-efficacy; homogenous sample.