Health Promoting Behaviors in Nursing Students

SUMMARY AIM: This descriptive study was planned to determine the behavior of a healthy lifestyle in nursing students who assume the role of nursing care services and education in their future lives. METHOD: The research was conducted in Hitit University School of Health in November-December 2011. All of the 262 students who were studying in the Department of Nursing were included in the study. The survey was applied to 234 students whom can be accessed. A questionnaire included descriptive items and health perceptions of students with the 48-item scale consists of healthy lifestyle behaviors (HPLP) was used as a tool for collecting the data. RESULTS: The mean age of students who participated in this study was 20.40±1.96. The 72.6% of students were female and 27.4% were male, 67.1% of declared that their levels of economic status was moderate, 14.1% of currently smoked, and 70.1% of general health situation was good. It was seen that the average scale scores of HPLP was 121.57±19.65. The total mean score is 2.53 ± 0.11 according to four scale of likert. The lowest mean score obtained from the subscales was exercise and the highest scores were interpersonal support and self-realization. Total scores of female students taken from the scale of healthy lifestyle behaviors were lower than the male students, but no significant difference was found between the groups. Exercise and stress management scores were higher in male students and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). Health responsibility subscale was highest in second year students. The average scores of self-realization and nutrition sub-groups were high in students whose perception of general health as "good". CONCLUSION: We determined that student’ scores taken from healthy lifestyle behaviors scale was moderate level. The issues about health protection and health promotion should be more take place in nursing school curricula.