Student Parent Success Center: A Community-Based Program to Decrease Stress

Degner, Kylie, Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, Mentor, Nikravan, Shabnam, Parra, Jaqueline, Poster Presentation, Public Health, School and College, Student

Kylie Degner and Jaqueline Parra, “Student Parent Success Center: A Community-Based Program to Decrease Stress”
Mentor: Shabnam Nikravan, Public Health
Poster #47

Student parents face a unique challenge as they navigate academic pursuits with the responsibilities of being a parent. Stress associated with this dual role can impact their well-being. Stress is defined as a response to threats and challenges that presents a state of panic, discomfort, or concern. Repeated stress has negative health consequences, including an increased risk for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and sleep disorders. 43% of student parents reported feeling stress all the time and 40% reported feeling overwhelmed. The purpose of this research is to use evidence and theory to develop a public health program to address stress in student parents at UWM. The research will use a modified version of Intervention Mapping to plan out a hypothetical program that addresses stress among student parents. To develop the program, we’ll use the health belief model to explain parents’ intentions to participate in a parent success center. The creation of stress-reduction programs has been shown to be beneficial for parents by lowering levels of stress, anxiety, and improved sleep. A logic model was developed to assess the inputs, outputs, outcomes, and impact of the program. The goal of our program is to build a student parent resource center on campus and to increase accessibility of mental health resources for student parents. The findings will be synthesized to include a community engagement plan, a logic model, evidence-based strategies, and a selected public health theory. Basing public health programs in theory and evidence helps public health practice by giving programs a solid foundation to ensure long term success. It’s important to emphasize the critical role of stakeholders and the community to earn community trust and increase chances of support. Decreasing student parent stress leads to better physical and mental health for the parent and child(ren) they are caring for.