LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOUR AND HEALTH PROMOTING FACTORS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Medha Thapliyal, *Dr. Dinesh Kumar, Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma, Dr. Tanya Goel

ABSTRACT

Introduction: University students are particularly vulnerable to adopting unhealthy lifestyle behaviors because of academic pressures, changing social environments, and increased independence. These behaviors may adversely affect both physical and psychological well-being and contribute to future non-communicable diseases. Objectives: To assess lifestyle behaviors, health-promoting factors, awareness regarding lifestyle-related diseases, and anxiety levels among university students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 78 university students. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire comprising socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle-related factors, awareness regarding lifestyle-related diseases, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Associations between categorical variables were assessed using the Chi-square test, and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The majority of participants reported engaging in regular physical activity (67.9%). Most students slept for 5–8 hours daily, although more than half reported sleeping after midnight. Alcohol consumption and smoking were reported by 46.2% and 12.2% of participants, respectively, while only 20.5% practiced meditation. Awareness regarding lifestyle-related diseases was moderate, with diabetes and hypertension being the most commonly recognized conditions. Anxiety assessment revealed that 62.8% of participants experienced varying levels of anxiety, with moderate anxiety being the most common category. Physically active students demonstrated lower proportions of extremely severe anxiety compared with inactive students; however, the association was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Conclusion: Although many students reported engaging in positive health behaviors such as regular physical activity, concerns related to sleep timing, alcohol consumption, low meditation practices, and anxiety were evident. University-based interventions focusing on mental health, healthy lifestyle promotion, and disease awareness may help improve student well-being.

Keywords: Lifestyle behaviors, university students, physical activity, anxiety, health promotion, DASS-21.