Health behaviour of students versus a sense of self-efficacy.

PURPOSE: A sense of self-efficacy has become such an important construct in recent years that it has been included in most behaviour theories. Self-efficacy turned out to be very strong conditioning for health in a lot of research. The general influence of self-efficacy on health behaviour exceeds the influence of any other single variable. The feeling of self-efficacy allows to predict the intentions of actions in different spheres of human activity, including health behaviour. A higher sense of self-efficacy increases motivation for action, it is related to greater achievements of an individual and his/her better health. The aim of the research was to diagnose health behaviour of college students, to evaluate their sense of self-efficacy and to specify the relation between health behaviour presented by the participants and their sense of self-efficacy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was conducted using the method of diagnostic questionnaire with the following instruments: Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale--GSES R. Schwarzer, M. Jerusalem, the Questionnaire of Health Behaviour designed by one of the authors, and the measurement of BMI. The results from a group of 164 students enrolled in year 1 of bachelor of nursing programme from Kraków and Bielsko-Biała were statistically analyzed by using the chi-square test.

RESULTS: The conducted study confirmed the hypothesis about the relation between self-efficacy and health behaviour only partly. A statistically significant influence of the sense of self-efficacy on such health behaviour as the consumption of fat in daily diet and drinking alcohol was revealed. Most students participating in the study achieved a high indicator of the sense of self-efficacy and presented both right and wrong health behaviour.

CONCLUSIONS: The sense of self-efficacy of the participants is a promising and positive indicator presaging the sustainability and change of health behaviour.