Development and Validation of a Scale Measuring the Post Pandemic-Health Promotion Behavior (PP-HPB) of Young Adults in the Digital Era

Abstract

This study aims to develop and validate a health promotion behavior scale that reflects the lifestyle changes driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased use of digital devices among young adults. Methods: Questions were selected using a literature review and validated by a group of experts. The sample consisted of 446 young adults aged 19-29 years living in South Korea who agreed to participate in the study and were surveyed online using Google Forms on September 19 and 20, 2022. Construct validity was confirmed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses; reliability was tested using Cronbach's α, and interrater validity was confirmed with the Health Promoting Lifestyle II (HPLP-II) instrument. Results: After conducting an item analysis of 49 preliminary items and an exploratory factor analysis, six factors and 27 items were selected. The six factors were named psychosocial health, personal hygiene, dietary habits, health care, using mobile devices, and physical activity. The confirmatory factor analysis verified the model fit, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The correlation coefficient with the Health Promoting Lifestyle II (HPLP-II) instrument was 0.69, confirming criterion validity, and the reliability of the final instrument was high (Cronbach's α = 0.90). Conclusion:The validity and reliability of the developed scale were confirmed. The scale can be used to measure the health promotion behavior of young adults in light of the lifestyle changes driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased use of digital devices. We hope that future studies will use the tool as a basis for improving the health promotion behavior of young adults.

The mediating effects of post-pandemic health promotion behaviors in the relationship between anxiety and quality of life in young adults in South Korea: a cross-sectional study

“…While the current study found a strong correlation between HPB and QoL, one notable difference from previous studies is that we analyzed PP-HPB scores, which were developed specifically for young adults, and incorporated questions related to health behaviors using mobile devices. The analysis indicated that dietary habits and physical activity levels were the lowest of all the categories, consistent with findings from similar studies [26,36]. These similar results across multiple studies highlight the challenges to basic health behaviors such as diet and physical activity due to the prevalence of online-centric lifestyles and convenience foods [36], suggesting that improvements in these areas could potentially influence the relationship between anxiety and QoL.…”

“…Thus, encouraging such behaviors among anxious young adults is a pivotal strategy for enhancing QoL. Particularly, the PP-HPB instrument used in this study reflects the online-centric lifestyle and health perceptions of the younger generation [26], providing a rationale for actively offering HPB intervention programs to young adults in today's rapid-paced society.In other words, while anxiety and QoL are typically addressed as psychological variables, based on the findings of this study, managing anxiety and QoL in young adults requires not only psychological approaches but also strengthening health promotion strategies that encompass various factors such as dietary habits, physical activity, and more.…”

“…PP-HPB were assessed using a new tool developed by Heo et al [26] for young adults who experienced the pandemic. This six-factor, 27-item tool consists of eight items for psychosocial health, five for personal hygiene, five for dietary habits, two for health management, four forusingmobiledevices, and three forphysicalactivity.…”