title: Psychological distress and lifestyle of students: implications for health promotion.
abstract: Poor diet, physical inactivity, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption are major risk factors for chronic disease and premature mortality. These behaviours are of concern among higher education students and may be linked to psychological distress which is problematic particularly for students on programmes with practicum components such as nursing and teaching. Understanding how risk behaviours aggregate and relate to psychological distress and coping among this population is important for health promotion. This research examined, via a comprehensive survey undergraduate nursing/midwifery and teacher education students' (n = 1557) lifestyle behaviour (Lifestyle Behaviour Questionnaire), self-reported psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire) and coping processes (Ways of Coping Questionnaire). The results showed that health- risk behaviours were common, including alcohol consumption (93.2%), unhealthy diet (26.3%), physical inactivity (26%), tobacco smoking (17%), cannabis use (11.6%) and high levels of stress (41.9%). Students tended to cluster into two groups: those with risk behaviours (n = 733) and those with positive health behaviours (n = 379). The group with risk behaviours had high psychological distress and used mostly passive coping strategies such as escape avoidance. The potential impact on student health and academic achievement is of concern and suggests the need for comprehensive health promotion programmes to tackle multiple behaviours. As these students are the nurses and teachers of the future, their risk behaviours, elevated psychological distress and poor coping also raise concerns regarding their roles as future health educators/promoters. Attention to promotion of health and well-being among this population is essential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland christine.deasy@ul.ie.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deasy
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coughlan
authors.affiliation: Health Education Research Unit, Laboratoire ACTé, ESPE Clermont-Auvergne, Université Blaise Pascal, 36 Avenue Jean Jaurès CS 20001, Chamalières Cedex 63407, France.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pironom
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Professional Studies, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jourdan
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Professional Studies, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: Patricia Mannix
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Mcnamara
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D009043:Motor Activity; D012309:Risk-Taking; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D013338:Students, Nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: health promotion; health-risk behaviours; higher education students; psychological distress