Health-promoting behaviors of physical therapy students in Khon Kaen University

ABSTRACT

Health promotion is the responsibility of each person to achieve good health. Health-promoting behaviorsshould be practiced regularly by every one, especially physical therapists who are health promotion providers.During the educational years of physical therapy training, greater emphasis should be placed on the important of anappropriate health-promoting behavior habit to the students. This study aimed to evaluate health-promoting behaviorsof physical therapy students in Khon Kaen University and compare the behaviors among students in each educationalyear. Participants were 144 undergraduate physical therapy students (mean age 20.2\± 1.3 years) who werestudying at the Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University in 2008. Their health-promotingbehaviors were assessed by a self-completed questionnaire namely the Thai health promoting lifestyle profileII (HPLP-II). The questionnaire contains 52 items that evaluate behaviors regarding health responsibility, physicalactivity, nutritional habits, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management. The results revealed thatthe participantsํ overall health-promoting behaviors were at a fair level. The 6 subscales of the behaviors rangedfrom good to very poor, with the highest and lowest levels in the interpersonal relations and physical activity,respectively. Significant differences in health-promoting behaviors among students in the 4 educational years werefound in the health responsibility and physical activity (P \< 0.05). These findings could be used as database for thecurriculum planners and faculty administrators to set up a strategy of health promotion, structure healthier environments,and develop health education programs for encouraging physical therapy students to adopt healthy lifestyles.