title: Religiosity and Health Risk Behaviour Among University Students in 26 Low, Middle and High Income Countries.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess religiosity and health risk behaviours among university students from 26 low, middle and high income countries. Using anonymous questionnaires, data were collected from 20,222 undergraduate university students (mean age 20.8, SD = 2. 8) from 27 universities in 26 countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. Among all students, 41.1 % engaged at least once a week in organized religious activity, 35.8 % practised a non-organized religious activity daily or more than once daily, and more or less two-thirds of the students agreed to the three different statements on intrinsic of subjective religiosity. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, higher reported involvement in organized religious activity was associated with addictive, injury, sexual and oral health risk behaviour, while lower reported involvement in organized religious activity was associated with physical inactivity and oral health risk behaviour. Lower reported involvement in non-organized religious activity was associated with addictive, nutrition risk, injury, sexual and oral health risk behaviour, while higher reported involvement in non-organized religious activity was associated with physical inactivity. Finally, lower reported intrinsic religiosity was associated with addictive and sexual risk behaviour, while higher reported intrinsic religiosity was associated with nutrition risk behaviour, physical inactivity and oral health risk behaviour.
authors.affiliation: ASEAN Institute for Health Development, Mahidol University, Salaya, Phutthamonthon, Nakhonpathom, 73170, Thailand. karlpel@mahidol.ac.th.|Department of Psychology, University of Limpopo, Turfloop, Sovenga, 0727, South Africa. karlpel@mahidol.ac.th.|HIV, AIDS, TB, and STIs (HAST), Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Pretoria, 0001, South Africa. karlpel@mahidol.ac.th.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peltzer
authors.affiliation: ASEAN Institute for Health Development, Mahidol University, Salaya, Phutthamonthon, Nakhonpathom, 73170, Thailand.|Department of Research Development and Innovation, University of Limpopo, Turfloop, Sovenga, 0727, South Africa.
authors.forename: Supa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pengpid
authors.affiliation: Community Health and Outreach Office, Provost St. George's University, University Centre, St. George, Grenada.
authors.forename: Omowale
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Amuleru-Marshall
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia.
authors.forename: Pempelani
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mufune
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Alaa Abou
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Zeid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D001208:Asia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D009656:North America; D012067:Religion; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013020:South America; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: 26 countries; Health risk behaviour; Religiosity; University students