Title: Health promoting lifestyles of students at a university of technology : physical activity and health
Abstract: The recognition of universities as settings for health promotion is based on the premise that university students constitute a major segment of the young adult population, whose health-promoting lifestyles reduces the disease risk later in life. Therefore, a good health-promoting behaviour depends on the living habits adopted during early years. Despite the growing recognition of universities as settings for health-promoting lifestyles, very few studies on university students' health-promoting behaviours and associated factors have been conducted. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the health-promoting lifestyles of students in a university of technology using a positivistic paradigm. The study utilised a quantitative research approach. The sample comprised 500 students from three campuses of a university of technology. Academics in each of the campuses were requested to facilitate the administration of questionnaires at their respective campuses. The data were analysed as follows: firstly descriptive statistics was used to describe the profile of the respondents; secondly statistical means for items in Section B (health promoting behaviours) and Section C (satisfaction with life) were computed; and finally non-parametric tests were conducted to ascertain whether there was a relationship between biographical factors (age, ethnicity, marital status, year of study) and health-promoting lifestyles. Reliability of Section B and Section C of the questionnaire was determined using Cronbach alpha. On the relationship between the various biographical information regarding age (χ2 =3.128; p >0.05), ethnicity (χ2 =3.247; p>0.05), marital status (χ2 =1.113; p>0.05), year of study (χ2 =4.059; p>0.05) and gender (χ2 =0.043; p>0.05) and health-promoting lifestyles, the non-parametric t-test (Kruskal-Wallis) showed no significant differences with student satisfaction with life. The results of the study suggest that there are areas for concern regarding the health habits of students. A serious concern is that students tend to devote little time to two important aspects, namely their eating habits and participation in physical activity. Recommendations were made based on the findings.
Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
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