DISEASES AND PROBLEMS DISTINGUISHED BY WHO AND FAO / RESEARCH PAPER
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS, HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FACTORS, AND INFECTION PREVENTION BEHAVIOR AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
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Faculty of Health, Physical, and Social Education, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania
Submission date: 2021-06-17
Final revision date: 2021-08-06
Acceptance date: 2021-08-11
Publication date: 2021-10-05
Health Prob Civil. 2021;15(3):187-195
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ABSTRACT
Background:
This study investigated the association between infection prevention behavior and socio-demographic and other lifestyle factors among the Lithuanian public and private university students.
Material and methods:
The cross-sectional survey took place from 15 January to 28 February 2021, and a total of 234 students responded to the survey. Survey questions included socio-demographic factors, compliance to hand hygiene, attitude towards vaccination, safe sexual behavior and risky sexual behavior, self-rated health, eating habits, physical activity, and compliance with COVID-19 preventative measures. Independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation bivariate, and multiple regression tests were used to analyze the association between different factors.
Results:
Students with better health showed higher compliance to hand hygiene, but reported lower safe sex practices (p<0.05). Likewise, students with chronic disorders were more skeptical of vaccines (p<0.05). Students reporting healthy eating habits displayed a higher compliance to hand hygiene (p<0.05) and safe sex (p<0.05), while students who were more physically active showed lower confidence in vaccines (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
This study indicates that significant correlations exist between numerous variables related to socio-demographic and lifestyle factors with infection prevention behavior. Moreover, there is a need to increase the compliance of infection prevention behavior among youth. Hence, more health promotion programs should be implemented focusing on infection prevention behavior in young individuals.