HEALTH PROMOTION BEHAVIORS OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS AND EDUCATORS IN COLORADO.
Contributors: University of Colorado, Boulder.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 269
Subjects: Education, Health.
Description: This study describes health promotion behaviors in nutrition, exercise, relaxation, and preventive health practices among a group of female professionals. The populations sampled were alumni from 1975-1985 of the nurse practitioner program, and the masters level graduate program in education at the University of Colorado. Both groups are in helping professions, and have received post-basic education, however nurse practitioners are directly involved in health education, and this is not necessarily a primary part of the educator role. The study utilized a mail out survey and a small number of personal interviews.

Overall the demographics of the two groups were very similar in family status and work status. Nurse practitioners were older as a group, and had worked longer professionally before obtaining further training. Nurse practitioners reported much higher level of exposure to concepts of self-care in their professional training.

No significant difference was found between the two groups in the health promotion practices in areas of nutrition, exercise, and relaxation. The only practice showing significant difference by profession was breast self-exam; nurse practitioners surveyed practice this more regularly than educators.

Other personal variables, family status, full or part time work, and age showed little significant effect on practice of health behaviors.

This sample reported practice of health behaviors close to, or slightly over the national averages. They may serve as coping models for the populations they work with. However, similarity of results for the two groups indicates a strong possibility that social factors of class and education are major influences on choice of health behavior. Thus, caregivers should be sensitive if working with different cultural groups, that resources and beliefs available to them as caregivers may not be as available to the populations with whom they work.

Although the nurse practitioners had considerably more formal training in health education, this difference did not seem to impact action and behavior. This data raises questions about effectiveness of models of health education.

The recommendations extended to utilization of a comprehensive model of health promotion and health education, based on efficacy and impact, rather than acquisition of knowledge.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-11, Section: A, page: 3986.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER, 1986.

School code: 0051.