title: Predictors of health of pre-registration nursing and midwifery students: Findings from a cross-sectional survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Student nurses/midwives evidence less than exemplary lifestyle habits and poor emotional health, despite exposure to health education/promotion during their educational preparation. Knowledge of the factors that predict nursing/midwifery students' health could inform strategies to enhance their health and increase their credibility as future health promoters/educators.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To establish the predictors of nursing/midwifery student emotional health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research took place at a university in Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  We involved a total sample (n=473) student nurses/midwives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed the General Health Questionnaire, Lifestyle Behaviour Questionnaire and Ways of Coping Questionnaire to determine their self-reported emotional health, lifestyle behaviour and coping processes. Multivariate regression was performed to identify the predictors of student emotional health (dependent variable). The independent variables were demographics, coping, lifestyle behaviour and students' perceptions of determinants of their health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many respondents reported significant emotional distress (48.71%) and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours including smoking (27.94%), physical inactivity (34.29%), alcohol consumption (91.7%) and unhealthy diet (28.05%). Multivariate regressions indicated that the predictors of emotional distress included gender, year of study, smoking, passive coping and beliefs that their student life was stressful or/and that worry stress and boredom adversely impacted their diet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Targeting student's beliefs regarding influences upon their health, promotion of positive lifestyles and adaptive coping is necessary to facilitate health gain of future health professionals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland. Electronic address: 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: Health Education Research Unit, Laboratoire ACTé, ESPE Clermont-Auvergne, Université Blaise Pascal, 36 Avenue Jean Jaurès CS 20001, Chamalières Cedex 63407, France.
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
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mannix-McNamara
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D007494:Ireland; D008880:Midwifery / Q000193:education*; D013338:Students, Nursing; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Education; Health; Lifestyle; Nursing and midwifery students; Psychological health