Adherence to Healthy Lifestyles: A Comparison of Occupational Therapy Students with Nursing and Physiotherapy Students

Abstract

Occupational therapists as well as nurses and physiotherapists are experiencing a growing emphasis on patient education. It is a challenge for health science educational institutions to prepare students for a role as health educators as well as motivate them towards healthy lifestyles of their own. In the present study first-term occupational students with nursing and physiotherapy students were compared on a number of lifestyle and health indicators as well as musculoskeletal problems. A questionnaire was answered by female occupational therapy (n =61), nursing (n =97) and physiotherapy students (n =67) at three different universities in Sweden. The results showed that occupational therapy students were more physically active and smoked less compared with nursing students, although the differences were not significant. Occupational therapy students were significantly less active than physiotherapy students. All three groups reported a prevalence of high back pain. In addition, a significantly higher frequency of neck pain within the last year was noted for occupational therapy students than for nursing and physiotherapy students. In order to help students to adhere to healthy lifestyles and strengthen their efficacy as health educators, educational institutions need to pay attention to students' lifestyles.