Factors Influencing Health Promoting Behavior of Women College Students

Kim, Joo Hyun; Kim, Sung Jae; Park, Yeon Hwan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing health promoting behavior of college students to develop health promoting interventions of young adults. The subjects of this study were 176 women college students, living in a small city in Korea. The data were collected by interviews and a self-report questionnaire, during the period from September, 1999 to December, 1999. The instruments for this study were the PRQ-II by Weinert(1988), the scale of Locus of Control by Wallstone et al.(1978), the scale of self efficacy by Sherer & Maddux(1982), 10 points visual analogue scale for perceived health status and the importance of health, the health promoting behavior scale by Walker et al.(1987), and the scales developed by the authors for the perceived benefits of health promoting behavior, and perceived barriers to health promoting behavior. Cronbach 's alpha of these scales were .68 ~.89. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. The results of this study were as follows: 1. Among cognitive perceptual factors of the Health Promotion Model by Pender(1987), the scores of the importance of health, the perceived internal control of health, self efficacy, the perceived health status, and the perceived benefits had a significantly positive correlation with the scores of the health promoting behavior of college students. In addition, the scores of the perceived barriers had a significantly negative correlation with the scores of the health promoting behavior of college students. 2. Among modifying factors of the Health Promotion Model by Pender(1987), the extent of religious activities of college students and the scores of social support had a significantly positive correlation with the scores of health promoting behavior of college students. 3.Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the most powerful predictor of health promoting behavior was self-efficacy. A combination of self-efficacy, the perceived benefits, the perceived barriers, the perceived health status, and the importance of health accounted for 45.1% of the variance in health promoting behavior in college students From the results of this study, we concluded that the Health Promotion Model by Pender can be used to explain health promoting behavior of college students. In addition, we suggested that the results of this study be considered in developing health promoting programs of young adults.