Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Predict Health Promotion Attitudes in Pre-registered Nurses : A Questionnaire Study

Abstract

Background: Nurses report inadequacies in health promotion practices and recognise their own lifestyle choices influence their willingness to give health promotion advice. The aim of this study was to investigate attitudes towards being role models for healthy eating, and examine predictors of health promotion attitudes in pre-registered nurses as health professionals of the future. Method: Questionnaire survey with 493 pre-registered nurses. Measures included health promotion attitudes, healthy lifestyle index (combining diet and physical activity habits), self-esteem and body satisfaction. Results: Pre-registered nurses (89.5%) felt that nurses should be role models for health; at the same time 37% had rather negative health promotion attitude. Those who disagreed were more likely to be dissatisfied with their body and lead less healthy lifestyles. Most pre-registered nurses (96%) felt that delivering health promotion would be a key element of their job and held positive health promotion attitudes. Healthy lifestyle was the most consistent significant predictor of health promotion attitude. Conclusion: Pre-registered nurses with unhealthy lifestyle, lower self-esteem (and body dissatisfaction among overweight/obese student nurses) held more negative health promotion attitude. Intervention is needed to support pre-registered nurses in making healthy lifestyle choices, improving self-perception and health promotion attitude.