A Preliminary Study of a Healthy-Lifestyle-Promoting Program for Nursing Students in Taiwan

Abstract

This pilot study evaluated the effects of a healthy-lifestyle-promoting program, taught as part of an undergraduate community health nursing course, on the physical fitness and health choices of 42 Taiwanese nursing students. A convenience sample provided quantitative indexes of physical fitness and lifestyle before and after the course. Qualitative data, in the form of student diaries, were also analyzed. The findings indicated a positive change in physical fitness, exercise, and nutrition as a result of the program. Including lifestyle programs in nursing education may help promote the long-term health of future nurses who will serve as positive patient role models.

The influence of a health education programme on healthy lifestyles and practices among university students

“…The difference in the scores of the experimental and control groups was significant in relation to type of diet and nutritional habits but was not significant in relation to physical activity. This result supports the results of many of the reviewed studies [21][22][23][24] and might be attributed to that it is easier to note the direct influence on behaviours that do not require much effort such as nutrition vs. behaviours related to physical activity. However, the results of a study conducted in Beijing reflected contradictory results.…”

“…At the university, the results of a pilot study to evaluate the effects of a healthy-lifestyle-promoting programme, taught as part of an undergraduate community health nursing course, indicated a positive change in physical fitness, exercise and nutrition among students. 22 Similarly, a study conducted in Taiwan indicated that a course on health promotion for nursing students significantly increased students' intent to adopt healthy lifestyles. 23 In Lebanon, a positive impact of a universitylevel 'Health Awareness' course on attitudes and behaviours of undergraduates enrolled in the course was reported.…”

Eating, Activity, and Supportive Environment (EASE) for Nursing Students

“…Recent findings have correlated nutritional habits, obesity, and lack of sleep (Yeh, Chen, Wang, Wen, & Fetzer, 2005). In a study conducted by Spivey (2010), sleeping 5 or fewer hours per night caused a greater risk in weight gain as compared with sleeping for 7-8 hr per night.…”

Health promotion lifestyle profile‐II: Chinese version short form

“…Internal consistency for the total scale was 0AE93 and for the subscales ranged from 0AE68 to 0AE86 (Huang & Chiou 1996). The Chinese version HPLP has been used with 122 postpartum Taiwanese women (Chen et al 2007), 129 outpatients with lupus erythematosus (Huang et al 2007), and 42 female senior nursing students (Yeh et al 2005).…”