Purpose: Compared to medical colleges, students in universities obtained less information about health promotion. It is necessary to distinguish the health-promotion lifestyle profile (HPLP) of students in medical colleges from universities. The aim of this study is to examine the difference of these two life styles between students in medical colleges and universities.
Methods: The subjects of this study were the students of certain medical colleges and universities in center area of Taiwan. We adopt the modified “Health-Promotion Life State Meter” developed by Walker (1987) and release questionnaire with convenient sampling. The difference of HPLP between students in medical colleges and universities was examined with statistical methods of t-test and ANOVA. The correlation between HPLP and cancer prevention behavior or HPLP and BMI values were analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient. Finally, the relative factors which affect cancer prevention behaviors were evaluated with multiple regressions analysis.
Results: The results showed significant difference in aspects of health responsibility, pressure handling, interpersonal support, nutrition, cancer prevention behavior between students in medical colleges and universities. The data of Pearson correlation coefficient showed the poor correlation between BMI values and interpersonal support, nutrition and cancer-prevention behavior.The assays of multiple regressions implied that the significantly correlative factors of HPLP were cancer-prevention behavior, school types and disease free or carriers.
Conclusion: Students in medical colleges had better HPLP than they in universities. Furthermore, HPLP was the major factor which would affect the BMI values and cancer-preventing behaviors. In general colleges, it is suggested to create some courses related to cancer prevention behaviors and HPLP. Therefore, students will learn to maintain a good lifestyle from school education. Students in medical colleges and universities can communicate and exchange information of good lifestyle by association activity. The HPLP of students will be improved by the restriction of schoolmates.
