Health-promoting lifestyles and their related influences among nursing assistants in nursing homes in China

Objective: The aims are to assess the health-promoting lifestyle status of nursing assistants in nursing homes in China and explore the roles of demographic, health conception, perceived health behavior self-efficacy, and job satisfaction in health-promoting lifestyles. Method: Using a cross-sectional descriptive design and convenience sampling, 285 nursing assistants from different nursing homes in Hangzhou were investigated using the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile 11, Self-Rated Abilities for Health Practice Scale, Health Conception Scale, Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire to measure their health-promoting lifestyle status. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS20.0. Results: The total score of health-promoting lifestyles among investigated nursing assistants is 114 (13). Six dimensions are standardized, including interpersonal relations, health responsibility, stress management; nutrition, spiritual growth, and physical activity, listed in descending order of their values. The variables of gender, education, number of care recipients, and religion appear to significantly influence nursing assistants' health promoting lifestyles (p < 0.05). Perceived health behavior self-efficacy, health conception, and job satisfaction are significantly positively correlated with health-promoting lifestyles (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the predictor variables, such as gender, religion, number of care recipients, and perceived health behavior self-efficacy, can explain 48.4% of the variance in health-promoting lifestyles. Conclusion: The level of health-promoting lifestyles is mediocre in nursing assistants in China, with the highest score in interpersonal relations and the lowest score in physical activity. The variables of gender, education, number of care recipients, religion, and perceived health behavior self-efficacy can serve as effective predictors of health-promoting lifestyles.