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Health-Promoting Lifestyle Behaviors and Their Correlates Among Nursing Students in Saudi Arabia

*Haidee Tablada Pacheco  -  Medical-Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Hail, Saudi Arabia
Salwa Abd El Gawad Sallam  -  Medical-Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Hail , Saudi Arabia
Richard Dennis Juinio Dayrit  -  Medical-Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Hail, Saudi Arabia
Dominga Narag Villano  -  Medical-Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Hail, Saudi Arabia
Marifa Libang Briones  -  Medical-Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Hail, Saudi Arabia
Heba Kayied Deab Al Morjan  -  Medical-Surgical Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Hail, Saudi Arabia
Open Access Copyright (c) 2025 by the Authors, Published by Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Diponegoro
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

Background: University students in Saudi Arabia have demonstrated concerning health-promoting lifestyle behaviors. However, few studies have specifically examined these patterns among nursing students, particularly in regions such as Hail.

Purpose: This study evaluated the health-promoting lifestyle behaviors of nursing students in Hail and their correlations with demographic factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional correlational design was employed. A total of 263 male and female participants provided demographic information and completed the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II) questionnaire through convenience sampling. Statistical analyses included frequency, percentage, t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlation.

Results: The overall level of health-promoting lifestyle behaviors was classified as good (M=142.88, SD=28.77). No significant differences were observed across the six subdomains of the HPLP II when participants were grouped by gender or year level. A significant positive correlation was found between grade point average and health-promoting lifestyle behaviors (p < 0.001, r = 0.34). Conversely, a significant negative correlation was observed between family monthly income and health-promoting lifestyle behaviors (p = 0.01, r = –0.15).

Conclusion: Nursing students demonstrated good levels of health-promoting lifestyle behaviors. Those with better academic performance reported higher levels of health-promoting lifestyle behaviors, while students from families with higher monthly income exhibited lower levels. These findings highlight the need for culturally and contextually tailored interventions to support nursing students in maintaining healthy lifestyles.

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Keywords: Health-promoting lifestyle behaviors; nursing students; physical activity
Funding: None

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