Outcomes Of A Two-Year Smoke-Free University And Organizational Policy Management

@#This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of the implementation of a smoke-free university policy after two years and to analyze predictors for organizational policy management and smoke-free university. A cross-sectional survey study was designed and undertaken as a baseline in 2014 and as an evaluation in 2016 in a government university within 2 campuses in the Northeast of Thailand. Students and staff/personnel returned questionnaires at a university. There were 891 and 960 people enrolled in to the study in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Outcomes were smoke-free environment, smoking rate, quit rate and variables affecting a smoke-free university. After two years, the smoke-free environment was improved significantly (p<0.001). The smoking rate was not a statistically significant increase, (6.73% in 2014 and 8.42% in 2016, p>0.05). Of this increase, the rate for regular smoking was lower than its expected value by 7.6%. The quit rate significantly increased from 8.33% to 33.96% (p<0.05). Law and organizational support were significant predictors of organizational policy management (adjusted R2 = 19%, p<0.001). Organizational policy management was a significant predictor for being smoke-free university (adjusted R2= 41%, p<0.001). Two years’ experience of implementing a smoke-free university policy showed significant improvements. The organizational policy management directly strengthened these improvements.

Healthy dietary habits, body mass index, and predictors among nursing students, northeast Thailand.

This study aimed to assess body mass index (BMI) of nursing students, and examine the links between health behavior in terms of healthy dietary habits, positive health habits, dieting and BMI. A structured questionnaire was used for obtaining information on dietary habits, positive health habits, demographic characteristic including body weight, and height by administering self-answering questionnaires to all of nursing students in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year-classes of the College of Nursing located in northeast Thailand. Three hundred and eleven female nursing students with an average age of 19.9 (SD = 1.4), had an average BMI of 20.3 kg/m2 (SD = 1.9). Most of the subjects (82.6%) were in the acceptable weight category (BMI > 18.5-24.99 kg/m2), 5.1% underweight (BMI < or = 18.5 kg/m2), and 2.3% overweight. (BMI > or = 25.0 kg/m2). About half of them (50.8-66.2%) practiced healthy dietary habits in terms of avoiding eating fat/cholesterol, enriched fiber foods, while one-fourth practiced daily fruit consumption. Positive health habits in terms of having breakfast, and taking exercise over the last two weeks, were practiced by 49.5% and 59.8%, respectively. Persistent health problem occurred 13.5% amongst the subjects. The univariate analyses revealed significant associations between dieting with the BMI; perception of body size with the BMI; the enriched fiber food consumption with dieting; and the avoidance of fat/cholesterol with dieting. It suggests that the choice of food was predominantly attributable to dieting. Results from multiple logistic regression analysis showed that dietary belief, dieting, and exercise had effects on the strength of the association (p = 0.0191, 0.0024, 0.0165; Odds ratios = 0.97, 2.21, 1.87, respectively). The results and implications are discussed.