Research & Resources

Behaviors and Attitudes of College Students During an Academic Semester at Two Wisconsin Universities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In this study, researchers sought to characterize college students’ COVID-19 behaviors and attitudes during the early pandemic, studying the responses of surveys administered in September and November 2020 to students on two university campuses in Wisconsin. Surveys demonstrated that students adhered to some COVID-19 prevention measures, but continued gathering socially. While the majority of respondents wore masks in public (94–99%), comparatively fewer (42%) did so at parties. In addition, mask-wearing at parties decreased from September to November 2020. Students attending parties or consuming more alcohol were less concerned about COVID-19 than peers not attending parties or consuming as much alcohol, and were more likely to take risks associated with COVID-19.

This paper, “Behaviors and attitudes of college students during an academic semester at two Wisconsin universities during the COVID-19 pandemic,” was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the Journal of American college health.

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