Pro-health behaviours - a sense of coherence as the key to a healthy lifestyle in rural areas?
BACKGROUND
Health-related behaviours and lifestyle are related to the salutogenic concept of health, whereas the major public health problems faced in rural areas include difficulties in encouraging people to a healthy lifestyle.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study is to explore mutual relationships between psychosocial-demographic factors and a sense of coherence.


METHODS
Two-stage sampling was applied. Data were collected with the use of the Juczynski Health Behaviours Inventory and Antonovsky's SOC-29 (Sense of Coherence Questionnaire). The study was conducted among 668 adults. Data were statistically prepared using one-way ANOVA test, linear correlation analysis, and linear regression model.


RESULTS
A higher level of pro-health behaviours is associated with gender, self-rated health, sense of coherence and age. Almost half of the farmers were characterized by a low level of pro-health attitudes. A higher level of pro-health behaviours was demonstrated by less than one-fifth of the farmers.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a strong association between sense of coherence and pro-health behaviours. Farmers have bad habits and pro-health attitudes to health and poorer self-assessment of their health. There is a great need to monitor health-related behaviour, increase the effectiveness of health promotion and health education in shaping a pro-health lifestyle among residents of rural areas, particularly among farmers.
Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences, Medical Department, University of Rzeszow, Poland.
Monika
M
Binkowska-Bury
Independent Practical Obstetric Skills Unit, Medical University, Lublin, Poland.
Grażyna
G
Iwanowicz-Palus
Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences, Medical Department, University of Rzeszow, Poland.
Wacław
W
Kruk
Medical Faculty, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland.
Lidia
L
Perenc
Medical Faculty, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland.
Artur
A
Mazur
Medical Faculty, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland.
Rafał
R
Filip
Medical Faculty, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland.
Paweł
P
Januszewicz
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D000070497:Healthy Lifestyle; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D060685:Sense of Coherence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult