Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Health Behaviours and the Literacy of Future Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

Our everyday behaviours in life can positively and negatively impact our health, thus cumulatively shaping our lifestyles as more or less healthy. These behaviours are often determined by our knowledge, literacy, motivations and socioeconomic backgrounds. The authors aimed to assess health behaviours and explore variables that may affect persons studying to become future healthcare professionals in Poland. This study was conducted with a group of 275 undergraduate students attending the Poznan University of Medical Sciences representing six different majors of study. We used self-reported, cross-sectional survey conducted through the use of a questionnaire that consisted of one standardised scale (Juczyński’s Health Behaviour Inventory) as well as a self-developed health literacy measure. The students showed average to high levels of health-promoting behaviours (mean HBI = 82.04 ± 11.26). Medium to strong associations were found between these behaviours and high scores on the health literacy scale (p = 0.001, r = 0.45 between total scores of the two scales). Dietetics students and female respondents scored significantly better on both scales, which suggests that their self-reported behaviours and health literacy were higher than those of other participants. Exhibiting health-protective behaviours and high health literacy is likely to result in the better individual health of our respondents, but, more importantly, will also influence their future professions. As members of the healthcare workforce they will be responsible for the health of the population and it is crucial for them not only to provide care, education, and guidance, but also to act as role-models for their patients and society.

Development and Validation of a Health Behaviour Scale: Exploratory Factor Analysis on Data from a Multicentre Study in Female Primary Care Patients

“…Initially, the HBS comprised statements grouped in six domains: describing individual healthy behaviours, preventive behaviours, eating behaviours and diet, physical activity, and unhealthy behaviours. Knowing the significant differences between the health behaviours of men and women [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 45 ], we first attempted to validate this measure among female participants. What we wanted to achieve was to combine 6 dimensions of health behaviours and find out which items and factors would remain after conducting statistical analyses on responses from 487 women aged 45 and above.…”

“…To generate the initial item pool for the questionnaire, we reviewed literature pertaining to: the existing health behaviours scales to check what kind of items they contained and how robust the evidence supporting the items was [ 18 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]; the current definitions of health behaviours to see if they had any areas or domains not reflected in the existing scales [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]; the influence of health behaviours on such populations as women and persons with CVD to look for behaviours which need special attention [ 10 , 11 , 16 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. …”

“…the influence of health behaviours on such populations as women and persons with CVD to look for behaviours which need special attention [ 10 , 11 , 16 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”

Current Status of Key Competencies among Medical Students: A Latent Profile Analysis

“…Medical students have prominent insomnia problems [34], poor sleep quality [35], and worse sleep quality compared to students in other majors [36]. Moreover, the level of health literacy among medical students is not as high as expected, [37] [38] and difficult for them to apply health-related knowledge to daily practice and deficiencies in health behaviors [39]. Therefore, medical colleges should pay attention to the cultivation of students' health literacy.…”

Health Literacy, Misinformation, Self-Perceived Risk and Fear, and Preventive Measures Related to COVID-19 in Spanish University Students

“…This definition is based on a conceptual model ( Figure 1 ) that combines four dimensions referring to health information processing (the competencies related to the process of accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying health-related information) with three levels of domains (healthcare, disease prevention, and health promotion) that yield a matrix with 12 dimensions of health [ 39 ]. There is evidence that HL predicted health-protective behaviors in university students [ 12 , 34 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]. In addition, HL is context-dependent.…”