J Am Coll Health. 2020 Jul 9;1-8. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1781869. Online ahead of print.

Jill M Plevinsky ¹, Michele H Maddux ², Laurie N Fishman ³, Stacy A Kahn ³, Rachel N Greenley ⁴

Author information

• ¹Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
• ²Department of Developmental and Behavioral Health, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
• ³Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
• ⁴Department of Clinical Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship between perceived effect of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) on high school academics and college planning on college adjustment. Participants:Participants (N = 97) were college students with IBD. Methods: Participants completed an online survey including the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire and study-developed questions assessing the perceived impact of their diagnosis on their high school academics and college planning. Results: Most participants reported average college adjustment across domains, except personal-emotional adjustment with 47% of participants falling within the very low to low ranges. Nearly half reported IBD impacted their choice of college (49%). The impact of IBD on college planning was most consistently associated with domains of college adjustment. Conclusions: IBD severely impacts college planning, decision-making, and adjustment in college-bound youth. Perceiving that having a chronic illness impacts college planning may result in greater difficulty with academic adjustment, attachment to the institution, and social adjustment during college.