Evaluation of Health Behaviors and Self-rated Health Among Chinese Healthcare Students

Most of undergraduate healthcare students will become future health professionals committing to promoting people’s health in practice. They often service as coaches to improve clients’ healthy lifestyle behaviors. However, relatively little is known about their health behaviors and health status. The study was conducted to investigate health behaviors and health status among undergraduate healthcare students and the associated factors in China by drawing an ecological perspective. A total of 430 students aged 18–20 years participated in the study between October 2017 and March 2018. Questionnaires on health behavior, health status, peer influence, family environment, and social support were employed. Overall, the healthcare students reported poor health behaviors and an intermediate level of health status. Regression analyses indicate that peers and family environment were significant predictors of health behavior, yet only explained 6.7% of the variance. Social support was the most significant predictor of self-rated health, followed by family environment, health behavior and peers, which together explained 31.5% of the total variance. Peers and social support were the major predictors of health behavior and health status compared to demographics among undergraduate healthcare students. Intervention targeting the predictive factors is needed to improve healthcare students’ health.