Health status and health seeking behaviour among urban and rural nursing students of a tertiary care hospital: a comparative study

Abstract

Background: Nurses play a very essential role as health care providers and taking care of their health is necessary. Nursing students are believed to be healthy and although morbidity and mortality from non-communicable diseases occur in adulthood, exposure to risk factors begin in early life. Early identification of risk factors is essential considering their role as future nurses and in public health interventions.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 280 nursing students of a tertiary care hospital of Mumbai, Maharashtra after the ethical clearance. Pretested questionnaire was used for collecting data by interview after obtaining informed consent.Results: Out of the total 280 students, 47% missed at least one of their meals. 67.8% were underweight (BMI <18.5). There was no consumption of dry fruits and non-veg food in 54.64% and 23.9% of the students respectively. 36.07% students consumed green leafy vegetables only once a week. Consumption of water was quite low among the students. 56.07%, were anaemic (Hb <12 gm/dl). Under-nutrition and anaemia was found to be more prevalent in students coming from rural areas. The health seeking behaviour was observed to be better among the urban students.Conclusions: Findings of this study demonstrated that there is a need to increase the awareness among the nursing students regarding the healthy lifestyle and to follow specific strategies for their comprehensive management.

Exploring Behavioral Risk Factors for Non-communicable Diseases Among Undergraduate Medical Students in Western Gujarat: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In the present study, a total of 84.75% of students reported having an inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables. This figure was similar to the findings of Pengpid et al [ 20 ], but higher compared to studies conducted by Hadaye & Dass [ 21 ] and Ricardo et al [ 22 ]. These findings collectively emphasize the need for targeted interventions to improve dietary behaviors and promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables among medical college students.…”

Knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards anaemia among female university students in Malaysia: A cross-sectional survey

“…In the present study, the observed score for seeking medical attention when encountering health issues was higher (90.0%) than a finding in the literature, which was 77.2% (Hadaye, Dass & Lavangare, 2018). The present study revealed 55.6% of participants did not check their Hb levels in the past year.…”

Assessment of Health-Seeking Behavior among Undergraduate Students at a University

“…Studies have reported that the prevalence of self-medication was found to be 55% among the medical students in Egypt, 27 76% among medical and nonmedical students in Pakistan, 28 and 66.3%, 92%, 57.05% at various places in India. 3,22,26 Another study supports these findings where it was seen that 58.3% of medical students self-investigated, 95.80% took self-medications, 87.40% have ignored their sickness, 62% approached medical care immediately, and 57.90% used the Internet for information regarding health and medicine. 18 It was also reported that medical students had higher levels of physical and psychological health problems and often tended to selfmedicate.…”

“…Out of the total 280 students, only 1.07% of the students did not consult anybody for the concerned ailments. 26 It is also seen that students consulted their peers (37.5%) in health-related academic disciplines rather than seeking treatment at the university health center. Some students (24.7%) preferred community pharmacies, while others took personal responsibilities for their health or abstained from medical care for religious reasons (16.8%).…”