Protective Health Behaviors Research Articles

How Covid-19 literacy influences fear, protective behaviour, and conspiracy beliefs among university students in Pakistan?

BackgroundCovid-19 literacy, a social vaccine, is crucial to cope pandemic situations as it helps individuals to manage panic situations, adopt health preventive behaviours and adapting to the new normal. ObjectivesThis research examined the effects of Covid-19 literacy on fear, protective behaviour, and conspiracy beliefs of university students using an online questionnaire. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted at two universities from Lahore with permission from concerned authorities. A total of 301 received responses were analyzed by applying descriptive as well as inferential statistics in SPSS. ResultsThe results indicated that Covid-19 literacy appeared to predict negatively fear of Covid-19 and conspiracy beliefs and positively health-protective behaviours. In other words, the university students with better Covid-19 literacy appeared to have less fear of Covid-19, more likely to adopt health-protective behaviours and believe less in conspirative information. ConclusionsThese results demonstrated the potential benefits of Covid-19 literacy to respond proactively to the fear caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, managing infodemic and adoption of health-protective behaviours. These results would be useful for policymakers, NGOs, health professionals, and university librarians in planning health education and promotion for not only university students but also for general public. This research contributed to the existing research on health literacy related to the Covid-19 pandemic in general and Covid-19 literacy in particular as limited studies have been published so far.

Health and Environmental Protective Behavioral Intentions for Reducing Harm from Water Pollutants.

Understanding what motivates people to adopt protective behaviors is important in developing effective risk messaging. Motivations may vary depending on the nature of the risk and whether it poses a personal or impersonal threat. Water pollution creates both personal (human health) and impersonal (environmental) threats, yet few studies have examined people's motivations to protect both personal health and environmental health. Protection motivation theory (PMT) uses four key variables to predict what motivates individuals to protect themselves in relation to a perceived threat. Using data from an online survey (n = 621), we investigated the relationships between PMT variables related to health and environmental protective behavioral intentions related to toxic water pollutants among residents in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington, USA. Among PMT variables, high self-efficacy (belief in one's own capacity to carry out certain behaviors) significantly predicted both health and environmental protective behavioral intentions for water pollutants, while perceived severity of the threat was only significant in the environmental behavioral intentions model. Perceived vulnerability and response efficacy (belief that a specific behavior will effectively mitigate the threat) were significant in both models. Education level, political affiliation, and subjective knowledge of pollutants were significant predictors of environmental protective behavioral intentions, but not health protective behavioral intentions. The results of this study suggest that when communicating environmental risks of water pollution, highlighting self-efficacy in messaging is particularly important to promote protective environmental and personal health behavior.

The impact of "freedom day" on COVID-19 health protective behaviour in England: An observational study of hand hygiene, face covering use and physical distancing in public spaces pre and post the relaxing of restrictions.

To study the prevalence of COVID-19 health protective behaviours before and after rules eased in England on the 19th July 2021. Observational study pre (12th-18th July) and post (26th July-1st August) 19th July, and a cross-sectional online survey (26th to 27th July). Observations occurred in supermarkets (n = 10), train stations (n = 10), bus stops (n = 10), a coach station (n = 1) and a London Underground station (n = 1). The survey recruited a nationally representative sample. All adults entering the observed locations during a one-hour period (n = 3819 pre- and n = 2948 post-19th July). In the online survey, 1472 respondents reported having been shopping for groceries/visited a pharmacy and 566 reported having used public transport or having been in a taxi/minicab in the last week. We observed whether people wore a face covering, maintained distance from others and cleaned their hands. We investigated self-reports of wearing a face covering while in shops or using public transport. In most locations observed, the proportion of people wearing face coverings, cleaning the hands and maintaining physical distance declined post 19th July. Pre 19th July, 70.2% (95% CI 68.7 to 71.7%) of people were observed to be wearing a face covering versus 55.8% (54.2 to 57.9%) post 19th July. Equivalent rates for physical distancing were 40.9% (39.0 to 42.8%) versus 29.5% (27.4 to 31.7%), and for hand hygiene were 4.4% (3.8 to 5.1%) versus 3.9% (3.2 to 4.6%). Self-reports of "always" wearing face coverings were broadly similar to observed rates. Adherence to protective behaviours was sub-optimal and declined during the relaxation of restrictions, despite appeals to exercise caution. Self-reports of "always" wearing a face covering in specific locations appear valid.

Health Behaviours among Travellers Regarding Risk Compensation Following COVID-19 Vaccination in Taizhou, China.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, public transport was restricted in many countries because of the transmission risk. According to the risk compensation theory, travellers post-COVID-19 vaccination may encounter higher risks; however, no real-world studies provide such evidence. Therefore, we conducted a survey to assess whether risk compensation would occur among travellers' health-related behaviours after COVID-19 vaccination, potentially aggravating the transmission of the virus. A self-administered online survey was designed and distributed over WeChat to identify the difference in health behaviours before and after COVID-19 vaccination among travellers at a train station in Taizhou, China, from 13 February to 26 April 2022. A total of 602 individuals completed the questionnaire. The results revealed no statistical difference between the health behaviours reported by the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. Participants who received the first dose of the vaccine earlier showed no statistical difference in harmful health behaviours (hand washing frequency decreased by 4.1% (P=0.145) and the duration of public transport travel increased by 3.4% (P=0.437)), but showed better protective health behaviours (mask-wearing duration increased by 24.7% (P=0.014)). Compared to those vaccinated less than three times, participants vaccinated against COVID-19 three times showed no statistical differences in harmful health behaviours mask-wearing duration decreased by 7.0% (P=0.927), their hand washing frequency decreased by 4.8% (P=0.905), and the duration of public transport travel increased by 2.5% (P=0.287). After vaccination, when compared to themselves before vaccination, participants exhibited better health behaviours (increased hand washing frequency and mask-wearing duration, and decreased duration of public transport travel) to some extent. In conclusion, this study found no evidence of risk compensation among travellers. After being vaccinated, health behaviours partly improved among travellers.

Daily implementation of health-protective behaviors and family life during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated the use of health-protective behaviors (HPB), such as social distancing, staying at home, frequent handwashing, and wearing facemasks to mitigate the transmission of disease. An investigation of interpersonal costs associated with the use of HPB can help inform strategies to promote their sustained implementation. This study examined the daily associations between the implementation of HPB and family functioning and assessed moderation by coparenting quality, economic strain, and the number of days that state-level stay-at-home policies had been in effect, during the early days of the pandemic. Mothers and fathers from 155 families with children who were 9 years old, on average, completed daily reports of HPB, parental stress, and family relationship quality over eight consecutive days in April or May of 2020. Hierarchal linear models showed that HPB was associated with increased levels of parental stress and interparental conflict. Negative coparenting relations exacerbated the next-day association between HPB and interparental conflict. HPB was also associated with increased levels of parent-child and interparental closeness, but these linkages dissipated for families who had spent more days under state-level stay-at-home policies. Although crucial for public health, the implementation of HPB may have detrimental short-term effects on daily family life. Family support and interventions are necessary to minimize the psychosocial burden of these important public health measures and increase their sustained adherence.

Korikori Kōrero: a mobile method of inquiry for moving Māori women and their knowledges

ABSTRACT This article outlines the use of a novel research method, Korikori Kōrero, with a group of physically active Māori women. The research aimed to identify common traits or ways of knowing and being, by engaging with Māori women in their chosen physical activities and preferred environments. Korikori Kōrero draws from both Indigenous and Euro-Western research methodologies to ultimately bring the research relationship and associated power dynamic into balance. Māori women have experienced an exaggerated imbalance of power resulting from the patriarchal dominance of colonisation, and their contemporary realities often reflect this. However, it was the intention of this research and method, to privilege the stories of Māori women, successful in navigating contemporary realities – through physical activity, a known protective health behaviour. This article will share the rationale behind this novel mobile method; how it was implemented; and its relevance in generating an understanding of physically active Māori women. Glossary of Māori words: mātauranga: Māori knowledges, processes of learning; kanohi kitea: the seen face; whakapapa: genealogy and background; whakawhanaungatanga: connectedness and building relationships; wānanga: gathering or a meeting where there is an exchange of knowledge; Hinetuākiri, Hineuku, and Papatūānuku: Māori feminine deities connected to the earth (gravel, clay, earth); hongi: Māori greeting/gesture demonstrated by pressing noses and sharing breath; whanaungatanga: established connections/relationships; wahine/wāhine: woman/women; mana: authority; tikanga: cultural practices; mihi: introductions, acknowledgements; whanau: immediate and extended family; toa: relates to strength, skillfullness; teina: younger sibling or less experienced; tuakana: older sibling or more experienced; Whakataka te hau ki te uru, whakataka te hau ki te tonga: the opening lines of a popular karakia, translates to: Cease oh winds of the west and of the south; karakia: incantation, prayer, ritual chant; te taiao: the natural environment; maunga: mountain; korikori tinana ā tinana: physical activity in person.

Factors influencing COVID-19 health protective behaviours in Zambian university students with symptoms of low mood

BackgroundHealth protective behaviours are crucial in the prevention of the spread of COVID-19, particularly in university students who typically live and study in large groups. Depression and anxiety are common in students and can impact young people’s motivations to follow health advice. The study aims to assess the relationship between mental health and COVID-19 health-protective behaviours in Zambian university students with symptoms of low mood.MethodsThe study was a cross-sectional, online survey of Zambian university students. Participants were also invited to take part in a semi-structured interview to explore views about COVID-19 vaccination. Invitation emails were sent explaining the study aims and directed students who self-identified as having low mood in the past two weeks to an online survey. Measures included COVID-19 preventive behaviours, COVID-19-related self-efficacy, and Hospital and Anxiety Depression scale.ResultsA total of 620 students (n=308 female, n=306 male) participated in the study, with a mean participant age of 22.47±3.29 years (range 18–51). Students reported a mean protective behaviour score of 74.09/105 and 74% scored above the threshold for possible anxiety disorder. Three-way ANOVA showed lower COVID-19 protective behaviours in students with possible anxiety disorder (p=.024) and those with low self-efficacy (p<0.001). Only 168 (27%) said they would accept vaccination against COVID-19, with male students being twice as likely to be willing to accept COVID-19 vaccination (p<0.001). Of 50 students interviewed. 30 (60%) expressed fears about the vaccination and 16 (32%) were concerned about a lack of information. Only 8 (16%) participants expressed doubts about effectiveness.ConclusionStudents who self-identify as having symptoms of depression have high levels of anxiety. The results suggest that interventions to reduce anxiety and promote self-efficacy might enhance students’ COVID-19 protective behaviours. Qualitative data provided insight into the high rates of vaccine hesitancy in this population.

Randomized Trial of a Sexual Health Video Intervention for Black and Hispanic Adolescent Females

Despite significant declines, adolescent birth rates in the USA are higher than other industrialized countries, with black and Hispanic youth disproportionately affected. This study assessed the efficacy of a single-session, entertainment-education sexual health video intervention for these populations. Using an individual-level randomized controlled trial, 1770 18- to 19-year-old black and Hispanic females were assigned to watch Plan A (n = 886) or a control video (n = 884) prior to a sexual reproductive health (SRH) visit. Participants self-reported data at baseline and 3 months post-baseline. Within an intent-to-treat framework, we estimated the average causal effect of assignment to Plan A on three confirmatory and five exploratory outcomes. We found that individuals assigned to Plan A had higher contraceptive knowledge, may be more likely to get sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, and may have elevated HIV/STI risk perceptions 3 months post-video. Although we found no difference in long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) use nor frequency of condomless sex in the full sample, we did observe that first-time SRH visitors assigned to Plan A had a higher probability of using LARC than those in the control group. This study demonstrates that Plan A is a low-burden, inexpensive, and highly scalable video intervention for black and Hispanic adolescent females that has significant and borderline significant effects on protective sexual health behaviors and important antecedents. It adds to the evidence base of effective teen pregnancy prevention programs and the limited set of rigorous and causal studies investigating the effectiveness of entertainment-education interventions on sexual risk reduction. Registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03238313) on August 3, 2017.

COVID-19 vaccine uptake and hesitation among men and women preparing for pregnancy: a cross-section survey based on the theory of planned behavior

BackgroundGiven the accelerated speed of COVID-19 vaccine research and administration, the main barriers to herd immunity appear to be concerns about safety and efficacy. Men and women preparing for pregnancy may have the same concerns about COVID-19 vaccination, but few studies have focused on COVID-19 vaccine uptake and hesitation among them.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among men and women who were preparing for pregnancy in Southwest China. The questionnaire was designed based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Multiple logistic regression was used to explore the determinants of the behaviors of COVID-19 vaccination.ResultsA total of 2878 participants completed the survey. A total of 53.89% of participants received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 45.21% of participants would receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the future. A total of 0.90% of participants never thought about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Multiple logistic regression model 1 showed that female participants (OR:5.497, 95%CI: 4.292–7.041), participants who never received influenza vaccine (OR:2.664, 95%CI: 1.908–3.718), participants who had never been tested for COVID-19 (OR:2.244, 95%CI:1.504–3.349), participants who had higher score of negative attitude (OR:1.448, 95%CI: 1.219–1.719), participants who had lower scores of injunctive norms (OR:0.440, 95%CI: 0.360–0.537) and descriptive norms (OR:0.105, 95%CI: 0.088–0.126) were more likely to delay COVID-19 vaccination. Model 2 showed that participants who had lower scores for positive attitude (OR: 0.406, 95% CI: 0.230–0.716), injunctive norms (OR: 0.283, 95% CI: 0.130–0.614) and descriptive norms (OR: 0.060, 95% CI: 0.038–0.094) were more likely to refuse COVID-19 vaccination.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 vaccination rate of men and women preparing for pregnancy was significantly lower than the average vaccination rate of China. Gender, protective health behaviors, vaccination attitudes, and subjective norms had effects on the vaccination behaviors of couples preparing for pregnancy.

Patient Acceptance of Prescribed and Fully Reimbursed mHealth Apps in Germany: An UTAUT2-based Online Survey Study

The study aims to (1) investigate current levels of patient acceptance of mHealth in Germany; (2) determine the influencing factors of patients' intention to use, and (3) test the influence of prescription and reimbursement status on patient acceptance. Online survey with 1349 participants, of which 1051 were complete and included for statistical analysis, from a broad cross-section of the German population, addressing both users of mobile health (mHealth) applications and people without prior experience. SEM modeling based on a combination of two theoretical frameworks: the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and Health Protective Behavior Theories were used to assess acceptance. Users of mHealth in Germany are mostly patients between the ages of 30 – 50 with mental health or endocrine conditions. General willingness to use mHealth apps / DiGAs (mHealth apps fully reimbursed by social health insurance) is high at 76%, especially if they are governmentally certified, however only 27% of respondents were willing to pay out of pocket. With the exception of a spike in performance expectancy and data security, DiGAs lack a clear differentiation from mHealth apps. Perceived self-efficacy and performance expectancy are significant predictors of willingness to use digital health interventions; with age, attitude, and e-literacy being key demographic predictors. A key takeaway for regulators, providers of mHealth apps/ DiGAs, and other stakeholders involved in mHealth adoption is the importance of addressing negative beliefs early on, targeted communication around effortless usage of mHealth services across age groups and demographics, and focus on highlighting expected benefits of mHealth app/ DiGA usage.

Prevent2Protect Project: Regulatory Focus Differences in Sexual Health Knowledge and Practices

The way people perceive risks and make decisions about their health is regulated by two motivational systems—prevention of harm or promotion of pleasure. People more focused on prevention strive to avoid negative outcomes and enact more health-protective behaviors. In contrast, people more focused on promotion strive to attain positive outcomes and take more risks with their health. Building upon recent evidence extending this framework to sexual behaviors and health, we conducted a pre-registered online survey (OSF) with Portuguese and Spanish adults (N = 742; Mage = 31.42, SD = 9.16) to examine whether self-reported STI knowledge and sexual health practices differ based on predominant regulatory focus. This study was part of the Prevent2Protect project (OSF). Results showed that prevention-focused participants had heard about more STIs and retrieved more of their knowledge from scientific sources but had been tested for fewer STIs in the past. In contrast, promotion-focused participants indicated they had specific knowledge about more STIs, retrieved more of their knowledge from medical and peer sources, and had been tested for more STIs in the past. They also reported more frequent STI testing, using free testing facilities or asking their family practice doctor to get tested, more routine sexual health check-ups, and more use of other contraceptive methods, such as birth control pills. These results remained unchanged after controlling for demographic differences. Overall, our findings showed that different motives in sexuality shape sexual health knowledge and sexual health practices.

Observed and self-reported COVID-19 health protection behaviours on a university campus and the impact of a single simple intervention.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most data on adherence to health protective behaviours were collected via a self-report. We quantified the discrepancy between self-report data and discretely observed behaviour in a sample of university staff and students. We assessed the prevalence of cleaning hands, wearing a face-covering and maintaining distance from others. We also tested whether additional signage reminding people that these behaviours were mandatory improved observed adherence. Prevalence estimates based on self-report were higher than those based on observations. Signage was associated with improvements for observed behaviours (all χ2≥6.0, P<0.05). We caution that self-reported data can produce misleading adherence rates.

The role of emotions in health-promoting behavior campaigns | Fact-sheets collection from the Portuguese COVID-19 pandemic Task Force on Behavioral Sciences

Behavioral activation requires both cognitive and emotional processes. Fast and automatic decisions are highly dependent of emotional stata and, therefore, emotion activation is widely used in marketing initiatives. Health promotion campaigns traditionally opted by using threatening messages, aiming to raise awareness of health risks and to promote adherence to health behaviors. However, the evidence does not support the hypothesis that using fear-inducing messages promotes systematically the expected health protection behavior. Instead, the use of messages promoting positive emotions associated with the target behavior should be the first choice for health promotion programs. The effect of messages on emotional experiencing should be tested as much as possible (considering most vulnerable groups), before launching large-scale campaigns, as well as its effectiveness on the desired health behavior activation.

Psychological flexibility prospectively predicts COVID-19 PPE use across a two-month interval

ABSTRACT Perceived susceptibility, psychological flexibility and health behaviors (PPE use, social distancing) were measured at two time points spaced 2 months apart during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in the U.S.A (Time 1 April 2020; Time 2 June 2020). Demographic variables were also collected. Data from 151 Mturk workers indicated that Time 1 psychological flexibility significantly predicted PPE use and social distancing. The effect sizes were substantial. Perceived susceptibility was not a significant predictor. Psychological flexibility messaging and interventions could be an important way to increase the likelihood of people performing health protective behaviors to better constrain the continuing COVID-19 outbreak.

Predicting COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Armenia using the Health Belief Model: Results from a nationwide survey

ABSTRACT Health behavior theories have been effectively used for studying populations’ awareness, attitudes, and beliefs related to COVID-19 preventative behaviors. The aim of this study was to explore the factors associated with the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in the Armenian population using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a framework. We applied stratified two-stage random sampling to conduct a telephone survey of 3,483 adults in 2021. The multi-domain survey instrument included questions on socio-demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related knowledge, COVID-19 susceptibility, severity and self-efficacy beliefs, sources of information on COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccination practice, and its benefits and barriers. We performed bivariate and hierarchical multivariate regression analysis with the entry of variables in blocks. In total, about 12% of the sample (n = 393) was vaccinated against COVID-19. Of 2,838 unvaccinated participants, about 53% (n = 1516) had an intention to get vaccinated. The final hierarchical logistic regression model containing socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge about COVID-19, and HBM constructs explained 43% of the variance in the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Participants’ age, employment status, average monthly expenditures, perceived threat, benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action were significant and independent predictors of the intention to get COVID-19 vaccination. This study confirmed the utility of the HBM in highlighting drivers of an important health-protective behavior in the context of pandemics. Health policy makers, communication specialists, and healthcare providers should particularly stress the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines in their efforts to increase vaccination rates and focus on unemployed and low-income population groups.

Supplemental Material for COVID-19 Family Dynamics and Health Protective Behavior Adherence: A 16-Wave Longitudinal Study

Supplemental Material for COVID-19 Family Dynamics and Health Protective Behavior Adherence: A 16-Wave Longitudinal Study

Should we take care of each other? Enhancing COVID-19 protective behaviors, a study in Chile, Mexico, and Colombia

The literature has suggested that social norms and perceptions of risk and severity are critical variables in predicting protective health behaviors. Using an integrative conceptual framework, this study evaluates educational level, socioeconomic status, injunctive pro-care norms, perception of risk, and severity of COVID-19 as predictors of hygiene behaviors, mask use, and physical distancing. Participants included 2,075 adults from Chile, Mexico, and Colombia, three countries with the worst pandemic management. A structural equation model including the hypothesized structure of relations among the study variables fitted the data well and was invariant among Chilean, Mexican, and Colombian data. As proposed, injunctive pro-care norms against COVID-19 predicted protective health behaviors directly and indirectly through the perception of the risk and severity of COVID-19, and educational level predicted pro-care norms against COVID-19. These findings are essential in light of the development of prevention campaigns and the promotion of COVID-19 care strategies.

COVID-19 and health behaviors of the vulnerable group in the disaster-prone area:a case study of volcano-prone Merapi, Indonesia

As the world’s fourth most populous country, Indonesia is predicted to suffer greatly from the pandemic. One of the most vulnerable groups in Indonesia is those living in the disaster-prone areas where access to health services is limited. This study aims to identify whether households in the disaster-prone area were already aware of and have implemented protective health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The location of the study was at Dongkelsari settlement houses in the Disaster-Prone Area III of Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in Indonesia. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the quantitative data collected from face-to-face interviews with 142 out of 161 households residing in that area. Our findings suggest that knowledge about disease and prevention is quite high in our sample. More than 90% of the sample were already aware of COVID-19 transmission and understood that washing hands and wearing facemasks can prevent the spread of COVID-19. This high level of awareness is inseparable from the active role of community leaders in Dongkelsari area. However, only less than half of the sample reported practicing safe physical distancing. In conclusion, our study relies on field observation, and this complements the existing evidence by capturing a clearer picture of the COVID-19 awareness among the underrepresented population living in the disaster-prone area of Merapi volcano.

False Beliefs and Attitude Are Barriers to COVID-19 Vaccination.

As of October 2021, Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers donated over 2 million h to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Health Belief Model (HBM) is used to understand the value a person places on preventative behavior against the risk of disease. A mixed method, unmatched, prospective case-control study was conducted regarding volunteers' experience during the pandemic, reasons why these highly trained persons volunteer, what barriers to vaccination they observed, and how they helped others overcome those barriers. The HBM can elucidate the cognitive process to vaccinate. Regression analysis found a person's attitude (which includes beliefs, peer pressure, preconceptions, unwillingness, and other indicators) is a barrier to vaccination. Service hours increased from 20 to 56 h among volunteers who saw attitude as a barrier to vaccination. Superstition and fear accounted for 99.8% of unvaccinated persons (P < 0.001). Fear was a barrier to protective health behavior. The public health system must do better to build trust as an ongoing endeavor, as even the increased service volunteers provided in response to the observed attitudes, was not enough to stem exponential transmission once the pandemic had begun. Policy-makers and the public health authority should take all necessary steps early in the pandemic to ensure the effectiveness of the vaccination program.

Age, skin color, self-rated health, and depression associated with co-occurrence of obesogenic behaviors in university students: a cross-sectional study.

The university context plays an important role in the health-disease process since students are potentially vulnerable to obesogenic behaviors that can influence long-term health. To estimate the prevalence of and factors associated with the co-occurrence of obesogenic behaviors among university students. This was a cross-sectional study at a Brazilian public university. This study was conducted with all university students in the first and second semesters of 2019 at Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data were collected between April and September 2019, using a self-administered questionnaire. The outcome was the co-occurrence of obesogenic behaviors, measured as the sum of three risk behaviors: inadequate eating practices, leisure-time physical inactivity, and sedentary behavior. A Venn diagram was used to evaluate the simultaneous occurrence of risk behaviors. Pearson's chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analyses. A total of 351 students participated in the study. Inadequate eating practices constituted the most prevalent isolated risk behavior (80.6%), which was also the most prevalent when combined with sedentary behavior (23.6%). University students aged 20 years or younger, with non-white skin color, poor self-rated health, and symptoms of depression had increased chances of simultaneous occurrence of obesogenic behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of developing and implementing actions to reduce combined obesogenic behaviors in the university environment. Institutions should focus on creating an environment that promotes health-protective behaviors such as physical activity and healthy eating.