Comparison of Health-Promoting Behaviors of Nursing Students From Different Racial/Ethnic Groups

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Despite the known benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in preventing many health-related issues, few nursing students practice health-promoting behaviors (HPB). METHOD:This cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study included 866 undergraduate nursing students who were members of the National Student Nurses' Association. RESULTS:The difference in mean Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II scores between White people and Asian Americans was statistically significant (F [4, 861]) = 2.95, p = .019). The difference in the mean self-efficacy scores between Black people and Asian Americans also was statistically significant (F [4, 861] = 4.41, p = .002). The regression model was significant (F [1, 862] = 6.683, p = .001, R2 =.235)], and self-efficacy (β = .457, t = 15.178, p = .001) significantly predicted nursing students' HPB. CONCLUSION:The differences between racial/ethnic groups noted in this study indicate nursing faculty need to render culturally sensitive interventions to promote self-efficacy and HPB among undergraduate nursing students.