Rethinking Support for Asian International Students: Addressing Safety, Financial Stability, and Social Inclusion to Improve Health and Well-Being

Asian international college students face challenges related to safety, finances, and social inclusion. This study analyzes the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment data to inform interventions and policies and investigate how these factors affect stress levels among Asian international students. The feeling of being unsafe on campus at night (69.9%) and in the surrounding community (83.7%) was a contributing factor to high stress levels (n = 6038). A perceived lack of companionship (75.3%) and feelings of isolation (70.8%) were also strongly associated with higher stress levels (p <.001). Moreover, females (59.5%) and graduate students (61.7%) were highly likely to report higher stress levels. Additionally, microaggressions (OR = 2.87), discrimination (OR = 2.87), and finances (OR = 3.40) were identified as significant stressors among participants. Among the students who reported financial stress, 72.2% reported that finances caused moderate to high distress. These results indicate that Asian international students face a range of challenges in their host countries. This underscores the need to implement interventions or policies through a health equity framework.