title: Predictors of a health-promoting life-style among well adult clients in a nursing practice.
abstract: The self-reported health-promoting life-style (HPL) of 130 well adults in a primary care clinical population was examined in relation to the cognitive/perceptual and sociodemographic factors hypothesized in Pender's Health Promotion Model (1987) to predict this behavior. Subjects were randomly drawn from the clients of a group nurse practitioner practice emphasizing health maintenance. Data were collected by mailed survey (response rate, 59%) with one telephone prompt. The mean age of the subjects was 39.7 years; 72.3% were female; 51.2% were married; 47.7% had college degrees; and 67.4% were white. Blacks were underrepresented in the sample compared to the practice population (chi = 7.56, p = .006). Using multiple regression, the definition of health, importance of health, health locus of control, age, gender, marital status, race, education, income, and rural/urban residence were studied to determine their effects on health-promoting behavior. Results generally supported the Pender Model. Defining health eudiamonistically, that is, as exuberant well-being (rather than adaptive, functional, or absence of disease), predicted HPL. Ranking health above other values such as achievement and harmony had no effect; chance health locus of control had a negative relationship. In the final regression model, predictors of HPL were eudiamonistic conception of health and college education (p = .0001, R2 = 17). Based on this data, considerations of a clients' health conception when framing health-promotion messages is warranted in this population.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Frauman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nettles-Carlson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000592:standards*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires