College students are one of the fastest populations to adopt technology trends. According to the Pew Internet and American Life project, 18 to 29-year-olds are the most likely demographic to access health information on their phones. So when a student health service is looking for a way to reach out to more students, an app makes sense.
Although many university health services post lists of health apps on their websites, others have gone further and created or licensed apps that target health problems particular to college campuses.
Whether its sexually transmitted diseases, contagious disease tracking, or suicide prevention, or just healthy eating, apps on campus are beginning to take root. Read on for five smartphone health apps offered to college students by their schools.
The University of Oregon -- SexPositive
This app, which launches Tuesday with a presentation by sex columnist Dan Savage, is designed to answer sex question that students might have but not be comfortable asking. The app is formatted with two interlocking wheels displaying words that fill in the blanks in the sentence "What happens when my [blank] touches a [blank]?" The first wheel is filled with body parts, and the second is filled with those body parts as well as other objects. Once the user selects the two words, the app gives three prompts related to the combination: STI risks, safer sex options, and communication tips. The last includes suggestions for broaching a potentially awkward topic and emphasizes the importance of consent in any sexual encounter. The app is available for iOS and Android devices.
Wiltshire College -- No Worries
Wiltshire College in the UK also started off its school year with the launch of a sexual health app. The school recently opened a dedicated sexual health clinic for students, which also uses text messages in an innovative way to combat the potential embarrassment of waiting in the clinic's waiting room. Students can instead fill out a card, slip it under the door, and get a text message from a nurse when the nurse is ready for them.
The app, available on both iOS and Android phones, includes facts about sexual health, games and quizzes, and the ability to book an appointment at the clinic or search for local advice or counseling services.
The University of Wisconsin -- OutSmart Flu
The University of Wisconsin's University Health Services is a sentinel site for the CDC's flu tracking initiative, which means the school already tracks and reports how many students enter the clinic reporting flu-like symptoms. But with the help of a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the school is now looking to improve local flu tracking by distributing an app to students on which they can report symptoms even if they don't feel sick enough to go to the clinic. The app, called OutSmart Flu, is meant to capitalize on the success of Google Flu Trends at tracking the disease. Students can download it in either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
Maryland-based eReadia offers a suicide prevention app called Just In Case, which campus health services can license for a fee. Fifteen schools are already using the app including UC Davis, Rutgers, and Northeastern. The app is designed to give students a safe and confidential way to seek help for their own suicidal thoughts, suspicions that a friend might be suicidal, or inclinations toward self-harm. The app, in both the iTunes and Google Play stores, can connect students to suicide prevention hotlines or in-person counseling centers.
For schools that use Aramark's campus dining services, students can use an app to make the healthiest meal choices when dining on campus. Aramark's CampusDish app, released in 2012, indexes the nutritional information for all the service's meals, allowing students to search for particular dietary requirements, or just check the nutrition facts of food on the go before they buy it. The app is on both Android and iOS stores, too.
