J Korean Community Nurs.
2001 Dec;12(3):828-837.
A Comparative Study on the Self-Efficacy and Health Promoting Behavior between Obese and Normal Weight Middle School Students
- Affiliations
-
- 1Paekyang Middle School, Korea.
- 2Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Korea.
Abstract
- PURPOSE
This study was aimed to identify the difference of the self-efficacy and the health promoting behaviors between obese and normal-weight middle school students.
METHOD: Data were collected from a convenient sample of 360 middle school students (180 normal-weight students and 180 obese students) in Pusan from November 22nd to December 20th, 2000, based on self-report questionnaires. The following instruments were used in the study after being reconstructed by the researcher with the consultation of experts and the literature review: General Self Efficacy Scale(Sherer et al., 1982), and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (Walker, Sechrist & Pender, 1987). The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient.
RESULTS
1. There were significant differences in father's obesity (p=.014), mother's obesity (p=.007), sibling's obesity (p=.001), and school record (p=.001) between obese and normal-weight students. 2. There were statistically significant differences in the score of self-efficacy between the obese and normal-weight students (p=.000). 3. There were statistically significant differences in health promoting behavior (p=.000) and in six sub-items: personal relationship (p=.000), exercise (p=.001), responsibility for health (p=.003), stress management (p=.015), self-actualization (p=.043) between the obese and normal weight students. 4. There were very statistically significant negative correlations between obesity and the self-efficacy (r=-.19, p<.001), health promoting behavior (r=-.18, p<.001), specifically personal relationship(r=-.20, p<.001), stress management (r=-.12, p<.05), responsibility for health (r=-.15, p<.01), and self-actualization (r=-.14, p<.01).
CONCLUSION
According to the above results it is concluded that self-efficacy and health promoting behavior influence the obesity of middle school students. Therefore I recommend adding programs that can lead to improve self-efficacy and health promoting behavior to the obesity prevention programs for middle school students.