The role of executive functioning in health self-management and the transition to adult health care among college students

Abstract

Objective

To examine the role of executive functioning (EF) in health self-management and the transition to adult health care among college students. Participants: A total of 378 undergraduate students from a public university participated in the study. Methods: Participants reported on EF, health self-management skills, and their readiness to transition to adult care. Mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate indirect effects of EF on readiness to transition via health self-management skills. Results: Students with greater EF difficulties were less ready to transition to adult care. Specific aspects of health self-management (Medication management/Appointment keeping) mediated the relationship between EF and readiness to transition. Conclusion: EF is a key developmental aspect of health self-management and transition readiness. Assessing EF strengths/weaknesses in students with suboptimal health self-management skills may provide valuable information for informing the development of individually-tailored transition plans in university health centers, thereby enhancing developmentally appropriate care during the college years.

Keywords:

• Executive functioning
• health education
• health self-management
• transition

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the research staff and participants who made this study possible.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States. The surveys were designated as exempt from institutional review board review by the University of Georgia.

Funding

The preparation of this manuscript was supported by: Ana Gutierrez-Colina is supported by a T32 fellowship (T32HD068223; PI Kevin Hommel). Molly Davis is supported by a T32 fellowship (T32MH109433; PIs Rinad Beidas and David Mandell).