Assessing healthy lifestyles in female university students: Eastern province, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Aims: This study aim to explore female undergraduates' healthy behaviors, to explore significant differences in their healthy behaviors, and to discover potential correlations between students' healthy behaviors and their demographic variables. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the academic year 2015–2016. The Health-Promotion Lifestyle Profile scale (HPLP-II) was distributed to all 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year undergraduate female students in 6 health professions at Imam AbdulRahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted. Results: A total of 324 participants out of 375 completed the questionnaire with 86.4% response rate. The mean age was 20.69 ± 1.082. The overall/total score for the HPLP-II was 2.46 ± 0.42. There were significant differences in students' healthy behaviors and associations between HPLP-II scores and demographic characteristics. Conclusions: The overall score for HPLP-II was low. The spiritual growth subscale had the highest mean, and physical activity had the lowest mean. The mean scores for HPLP-II of juniors and younger students were higher compared with those of senior and older students. As students progressed through their academic years, their stress management declined. Students in the clinical nutrition profession scored higher on the nutrition subscale than students in the other professions. Therefore, considering female students' low scores in the dimensions of healthy behaviors, it is recommended that educators in charge of decision-making introduce physical and health education to the general curriculum for female university-level students. Facilities should also be provided to encourage healthy lifestyles in female students.