Comparison of lifestyle habits among first and fourth year nursing students at the University of the Basque Country.

Abstract

Introduction: The nursing profession fulfills a pivotal role in modifying and advocating for healthy lifestyle habits, while also serving in the prevention of pathologies linked to such habits. Nonetheless, the scientific literature exhibits a paucity of studies directly examining the influence of academic attainment in nursing on students’ lifestyle behaviors.

Methodology: Analytical observational study, cohort study. Various questionnaires were distributed for quantitative variables; these included dietary intake, time spent on exercise/physical activity, alcohol consumption, and other substance use. Means were calculated, followed by the application of the Student’s t-test, assuming beforehand that the results had a symmetrical distribution

Results: Ninety Nursing students from UPV, Leioa were studied, with 60% in the first year and 40% in the fourth year. The average age for the first year was 21.7 years, and for the fourth year, it was 24.5 years. 83.3% of the sample were female. The WHO questionnaire was used to measure health self-assessment. 94.4% of the first year and 91.7% of the fourth year rated it as ‘excellent/very good’. Significant differences were found in food and substance consumption. Intense exercise varied between 44.4% and 36.1% for the first and fourth years, respectively.

Discussion: There is an increase in the consumption of harmful substances among fourth-year students. However, there is a positive trend towards improving diet quality and physical activity among students. Conducting mindfulness workshops is suggested as a strategy to reduce the consumption of harmful substances in the future.

Conclusions: Merely participating in the nursing curriculum leads to an improvement in the students’ lifestyle habits. However, it is important to note that these habits exhibit certain aspects that are not entirely healthy, as evidenced by elevated consumption of substances such as alcohol and tobacco, as well as a tendency towards sedentary behavior.