Health Promoting Behaviour among School Going Adolescents of Government School in Gaidakot, Nawalparasi

Abstract

Background: A health-promoting behavior is an endpoint or action-outcome directed toward attaining positive health
outcomes such as optimal wellbeing, personal fulfillment, and productive living. Adolescents make up as much as a quarter
of the population and the number of adolescents is expected to rise through 2050. Adolescents are vulnerable to the risk
factors contributing to Noncommunicable diseases, whether from unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, exposure to tobacco
smoke or the harmful use of alcohol.
Method: A cross sectional analytical study design was used among 89 adolescents of grade 9 and 10 was selected through
enumerative sampling technique. Data was collected using a self–administered questionnaire from Adolescent Health
Promoting – Short Form scale and entered in excel and analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version
20.0 using Descriptive statistics (Frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation) and interferential statistics (chi-square).
Result: Findings revealed that 48.3% respondents obtained below average mean score on health promoting behaviour.
The overall mean ± S.D of status of health promoting behaviour was 68.12±8.847. Among 6 subscales, life appreciation
obtained the highest mean score (with standard deviation) i.e. 15.35±3.72, whereas exercise obtained least mean score (with
standard deviation) i.e. 7.80±2.66 and there is statistically significant association with health promoting behaviours among
adolescents and educational status of mother (p=0.033).
Conclusion: Overall health promoting behaviours among adolescents is below average so it is necessary to improve in areas
like nutrition and exercise. There is significant association between parental education and health promoting behaviours
of the adolescents, so parental education should be improved by school committee, should introduce educational session,
awareness program, physical activity program and nutrition exhibition program regarding health promoting behaviours
since early grade.