Exploring the relationship between health concerns and high-risk behaviours in Medical Sciences' students

Hoda Arabi-Mianrood; Zeinab Hamzehgardeshi; Shayesteh Jahanfar; Mahmood Moosazadeh; Elham Khoori; Zohreh Shahhosseini

doi:10.1002/nop2.596

Exploring the relationship between health concerns and high-risk behaviours in Medical Sciences' students

Nurs Open. 2020 Aug 20;7(6):2009-2018. doi: 10.1002/nop2.596. eCollection 2020 Nov.

Authors

Hoda Arabi-Mianrood¹, Zeinab Hamzehgardeshi², Shayesteh Jahanfar³, Mahmood Moosazadeh⁴, Elham Khoori⁵, Zohreh Shahhosseini⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Reproductive Health and Midwifery Student Research Committee Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences Sari Iran.
² Department of Reproductive Health and Midwifery Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Center Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences Sari Iran.
³ Ph.D in Reproductive Epidemiology Department of Community Health Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant MI USA.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology Health Sciences Research Center Addiction Institute Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences Sari Iran.
⁵ Department of Midwifery, Counseling and Reproductive Health Research Center Golestan University of Medical Sciences Gorgan Iran.
⁶ Department of Reproductive Health and Midwifery Ph.D in Reproductive Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health Research Center Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences Sari Iran.

Abstract

Aim: The need to cope with life concerns may drive an individual to resort to high-risk behaviours. This study aimed to determine the relationship between health concerns and high-risk behaviours.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Methods: We sampled 926 Medical Sciences' students from the North of Iran from September-December 2017 using the stratified sampling method.

Results: The most and less common high-risk behaviour was physical inactivity (97.5%) and high-risk sexual behaviour (15.7%), respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, participants' concerns about human sexuality (AOR: 1.39; CI: 1.22, 1.57), injury prevention and control (AOR: 1.12; CI: 1.01, 1.20), nutrition (AOR: 1.13; CI: 1.02, 1.26) and emotional health (AOR: 1.08; CI: 1.02, 1.15) increased the odds of risky behaviours. Among Medical Sciences' students, health concerns are linked with risky behaviours. The result of this study can be used to develop relevant interventions targeting mental health to reduce risky behaviour among youth.

Keywords: health concerns; high‐risk behaviour; medical students; risk taking; university students; youth.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Iran / epidemiology
Risk-Taking*
Sexual Behavior*
Sexuality