Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if perceived wellness predicted susceptibility to common infectious illness (CII). Participants: College freshmen participated. Methods: Students completed a health history questionnaire (HHQ), general self-efficacy (SE), and Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS) at the beginning and end of their first academic semester. Body mass index (BMI) was also measured. A survey assessing CII experienced throughout the semester was completed at the end of the semester. Spearman’s correlation coefficients and binary logistic regression analysis were used to determine relationships among all predictors of CII. Results: Students with high perceived wellness were 33% less likely to be in the High CII group compared to those with low perceived wellness. Those with higher physical wellness were 21% less likely to be in the High CI group than those with low physical wellness scores. Conclusions: The PWS was associated with CII, where those with high PWS scores were about one third less likely to experience infectious illness.
