HEALTH BEHAVIORS OF NURSING STUDENTS.
Contributors: Temple University.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 104
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to: (1) determine if there are differences in the practice of preventive health behaviors among students who are beginning a two year nursing program, students who have selected non-nursing programs in the same college setting, and students who have completed the program; and (2) to identify factors that might help explain such differences, should they occur.

Subjects (N = 120) were students at a community college. All were female with a mean age of 31.6. Group I consisted of 50 first year nursing students, Group II consisted of 50 graduating nursing students, and Group III consisted of 20 non-nursing students selected so as to be representative of the non-nursing population at the college in regard to curriculum and age.

An ex post facto design was employed. Data were collected by means of a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Wellness Inventory Section of the Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire developed by the National Wellness Institute of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Foundation.

F tests for analysis of variance showed no significant differences among the three groups at the 0.05 level of confidence. The wellness score averages for the groups were similar to each other and to the pool of people who had taken the test over the past decade. Interviews with nursing students determined that students perceived an increase in their awareness of health behaviors, but not an increase in their practice of positive health behaviors. The stress of the program and a lack of time were the reasons given for not changing behavior in a positive direction.

The study indicated that attendance at a nursing program can increase awareness of health behaviors, but in itself, is not a significant impetus for change.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-06, Section: B, page: 2341.

Thesis (ED.D.)--TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, 1989.

School code: 0225.