A Study on the Anthropometry and Healh-Related Lifestyle Habits of Women College Students in Kunsan / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to compare the anthropometry and nutrition knowledge, food behaviour and lifestyle of women college students with different obesity indexes. The subjects were 251 women college students who were randomly selected from Kunsan National University. The height, body weight, soft/lean mass, fat mass, percentage of body fat, and fat distribution were measured, and health-related lifestyle habits were evaluated based on questionnaires. The subjects were assigned to one of the following groups based on their Body Mass Index (BMI): underweight, normal weight and overweight. The results were as follows. Their body weight, soft/lean mass, fat mass, percentage of body fat, and fat distribution were significantly higher in the overweight subjects when compared to the underweight or normal weight subjects. Standard of living, self-recognition of health status and duration of exercise were significantly correlated with their BMIs. Self-satisfaction with body weight decreased as the BMI increased. Most subjects had poor habits such as skipping meals and lack of exercises. The overweight and the underweight groups skipped meals more frequently than the normal weight group. There were no significant differences in the scores on the nutritional knowledge and the dietary behaviour of the subjects with different BMIs. Therefore, proper nutritional education on regular meals and intervention are required if women college students are to have normal weights and healthy lifestyles.

Factors Influencing Health Promoting Behavior of Women College Students / 성인간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing health promoting behavior of college students to develop health promoting interventions of young adults. The subjects of this study were 176 women college students, living in a small city in Korea. The data were collected by interviews and a self-report questionnaire, during the period from September, 1999 to December, 1999. The instruments for this study were the PRQ-II by Weinert(1988), the scale of Locus of Control by Wallstone et al.(1978), the scale of self efficacy by Sherer & Maddux(1982), 10 points visual analogue scale for perceived health status and the importance of health, the health promoting behavior scale by Walker et al.(1987), and the scales developed by the authors for the perceived benefits of health promoting behavior, and perceived barriers to health promoting behavior. Cronbach 's alpha of these scales were .68 ~.89. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. The results of this study were as follows: 1. Among cognitive perceptual factors of the Health Promotion Model by Pender(1987), the scores of the importance of health, the perceived internal control of health, self efficacy, the perceived health status, and the perceived benefits had a significantly positive correlation with the scores of the health promoting behavior of college students. In addition, the scores of the perceived barriers had a significantly negative correlation with the scores of the health promoting behavior of college students. 2. Among modifying factors of the Health Promotion Model by Pender(1987), the extent of religious activities of college students and the scores of social support had a significantly positive correlation with the scores of health promoting behavior of college students. 3.Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the most powerful predictor of health promoting behavior was self-efficacy. A combination of self-efficacy, the perceived benefits, the perceived barriers, the perceived health status, and the importance of health accounted for 45.1% of the variance in health promoting behavior in college students From the results of this study, we concluded that the Health Promotion Model by Pender can be used to explain health promoting behavior of college students. In addition, we suggested that the results of this study be considered in developing health promoting programs of young adults.