The Norwegian student introductory week: who takes part, and is participation associated with better social integration and satisfaction among students?

ABSTRACT

Norwegian universities and university colleges yearly arrange an introductory week to welcome new students. This study provides new insight about who takes part in the event, to what degree students are satisfied with the event, and whether participation is associated with social integration. Data from the Norwegian study of students’ health and well-being was used. Satisfaction with the introductory week and other variables of interest were described for individuals taking part, partly taking part and not taking part in the event. The associations between participation, satisfaction and social integration were investigated (linear regression). More than 70% of students were satisfied with the introductory week and the opportunity it provided for getting to know other students. Participation in the event was associated with higher satisfaction with the student community and student city, and better social integration. Individuals who were younger, single and had moved to the student city were more likely to participate in the event, alcohol abstainers were less likely to participate. Though the introductory week is associated with beneficial outcomes with regards to satisfaction and social integration, the event might be in danger of excluding individuals who cannot or do not want to consume alcohol.

KEYWORDS:

• Students
• social integration
• introductory week
• universities
• loneliness
• alcohol abstinence

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Solbjørg Makalani Myrtveit, PhD, is a medical doctor educated at the University of Bergen (UoB). She is currently working as a Postdoc at the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, UoB. Her work is primarily focused on cancer in families with children with birth defects, as well as on well-being and health among adults, students and adolescents.

Kristin Gärtner Askeland, MSc, is a clinical psychologist educated at the UoB. She currently works as a PhD student at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, investigating the mental health of internationally adopted adolescents.

Marit Knapstad, PhD, is a clinical psychologist educated at the UoB. She currently works as a Postdoc at UoB and researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Her work is primarily focused on mental health, work and sickness absence and evaluation research in public mental health.

Ann Kristin Knudsen, PhD, is a clinical psychologist educated at the UoB. She now works as a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and as a Postdoc at the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care at UoB. Her research activity is primarily focused on mental health, causes of alcohol use and disease burden.

Jens Christoffer Skogen, PhD, is a clinical psychologist educated at the UoB. He currently works as a researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Stavanger University Hospital. His work is primarily focused on mental health, alcohol consumption, public health and work.