Healthy life skills and related factors among university students: a cross-sectional study in Istanbul, Turkey

• Published in: Journal of health, population and nutrition population and nutrition, 2023-12, Vol.42 (1), p.137-137, Article 137
• Main Authors: Rashidi, Mahruk, Karaman, Funda, Yildirim, Gülay, Genç, Aslı, Çakmak, Sultan, Durusoy, Ebru, Saygin Şahin, Buse, Elkin, Nurten
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcohol; Alcohol use; Analysis; Averages; Career development; Chi-square test; Chronic illnesses; College students; Colleges & universities; Communicable diseases; Cross-Sectional Studies; Eating behavior; Education; Empowerment; Exercise; Health Behavior; Health behaviors; Health insurance; Health status; Healthy habits; High risk; Humans; Infectious diseases; Influence; Insurance; Insurance coverage; Life skills; Life Style; Lifestyles; Likert scale; Living skills; Marital status; Normal distribution; Nutrition; Peer relationships; Peers; Personal information; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Prevention; Quality of life; Questionnaires; Risk groups; Skills; Smoking; Social aspects; Social interactions; Social norms; Social security; Social skills; Social support; Statistical analysis; Statistical tests; Students; Tests; Tobacco; Turkey; Universities; University students; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 2072-1315; 1606-0997; 2072-1315
• DOI: 10.1186/s41043-023-00481-4

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of global deaths. University students with unhealthy lifestyle constitute a high-risk group for NCDs. Evaluating and developing healthy behaviors during this period is very important for future health outcomes. This study was conducted to determine healthy life skills in university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a university, and data were collected between January and March 2023 in Istanbul. Data were collected using the healthy living skills scale in University Students and the Personal Information Form. Normal distribution conditions of the data were checked with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. According to data distribution, data with normal distribution were analyzed using parametric statistics including t-test, ANOVA and Chi-square tests and data with non-normal distribution were analyzed using non-parametric tests including Mann-Whitney U-test and Fisher's exact test. Logistic regression test was used to determine predictor variables. The average score for healthy life skills was 63.5 out of 84. Significant differences were found in the scores based on marital status, economic income, social security insurance coverage, and educational grade (p = 0.03, p = 0.001, p = 0.004, p = 0.04, respectively). Students who reported alcohol and smoking consumption had lower scores (60.8 ± 12) out of 84. The study revealed that university students in Istanbul possess a satisfactory level of healthy life skills. By providing social support, such as expanding the coverage of social security insurance and establishing conducive educational environments, while also paying attention to the influence of peers on students, we can contribute to the development of healthy life skills in university students.