The health and health behaviours of Australian metropolitan nurses: an exploratory study.

Lin Perry,Christine Duffield,Robyn Gallagher

doi:10.1186/s12912-015-0091-9

Abstract

BackgroundNurses make up the largest component of the health workforce and provide the majority of patient care. Most health education is delivered by nurses, who also serve as healthy living and behavioural role models. Anything that diminishes their health status can impact their credibility as role models, their availability and ability to deliver quality care, and is potentially disadvantageous for the health of the population.Study aims were to investigate nurses’ overall health and the presence of chronic disease; to describe nurses’ health-related behaviours and to compare them to those of the general population, with both groups matched by age and gender.MethodsCross-sectional descriptive paper-based survey of nurses from two Sydney metropolitan hospitals using established instruments and questions and measurements taken with standardised methods.ResultsThis nursing sample (n = 381) had a mean age of 39.9 (SD 11.7, range 20–67) years, Most (n = 315; 82.7 %) were female, worked full-time (80.0 %), and were shift workers (93.0 %). The majority (94.0 %) indicated good, very good or excellent health, despite 42.8 % indicating they had chronic disease. The most common risk factors for chronic disease were inadequate vegetable (92.6 %) and fruit intake (80.1 %), overweight and obesity (44.0 %) and risky alcohol intake (34.7 %); health screening behaviours were not ideal. Aside from overweight and obesity, these risk factors were more prevalent in nurses than the equivalent group of the New South Wales population, particularly for risky alcohol intake which was much more common in female nurses and most marked in those aged under 35 years. However, 80 % met the guidelines for physical activity, more than the equivalent group of the New South Wales population.ConclusionThere are early ‘warning signs’ concerning the health status of nurses. Despite perceiving current good health, support is required for nurses to prevent future chronic disease, particularly in the areas of nutrition and alcohol intake. With these concerns, the nursing workforce ageing and demands for care increasing, it is now time to implement health enhancing strategies for nurses.

Highlights

Nurses make up the largest component of the health workforce and provide the majority of patient care
Female nurses were more likely to report risky drinking habits than the equivalent group of the New South Wales (NSW) population; evident at all age bands, this was most marked in those aged under 35 years (Fig. 2)
There were indicators that nurses were facing important health issues with more than 40 % reporting at least one chronic disease, and few free of symptoms of chronic ill health. These aspects may impact on current health promotion roles and work capacity but a greater concern is the implications for the future of the prevalence of risk factors for chronic disease

Summary

Introduction

Nurses make up the largest component of the health workforce and provide the majority of patient care. Population ageing and increasing prevalence of chronic disease is seen across developed, low and middle income countries [1, 2]. Many of these chronic diseases are to some extent preventable and related to lifestyle and behavioural choices. Activities such as promotion of health literacy, health education and healthy living role. Behaviour change activities need to be targeted as health behaviours differ between sexes and across age and geographical groups, with, for example, men more likely to have risky alcohol intake and low vegetable intake and women to have insufficient exercise, with obesity more prevalent in regional/ rural areas [6]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion