The efficacy of an educational intervention on health behaviors in a sample of Turkish female nursing students: a longitudinal, quasi-experimental study.

Background: Unhealthy behaviors are a key factors leading to health problems. It remains unclear whether an educational intervention has a long term effect on health behaviors of nursing students.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term effect of an educational intervention on the health behaviors and examine predictors of change in these behaviors in Turkish female baccalaureate nursing students.

Design: Quasi-experimental design with one-group, pre- and posttest, and 3-year follow-up.

Setting: The study was conducted in a school of nursing in Turkey.

Participants: One hundred-eight students participated in this study.

Methods: Data were collected before and after the implementation of the educational intervention by using the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-I (HPLP-I). Descriptive statistics, the one-way analysis of variance for repeated measures and multiple linear regression analysis were used.

Results: There were significant differences among the three time points in terms of the HPLP-I total and subscales scores (self-actualization, health responsibility, exercise, nutrition and stress management), except for interpersonal support (p<.05). The positive effect of intervention on the HPLP-I total and health responsibility subscale scores was maintained during the 3-year follow-up period (p<.05). The amount of change from pretest to posttest in the total HPLP-I score was the only predictor of the 3-year change in the total scale score (unstandardized β=0.538; p<.001), after adjustment for the potential confounding factors.

Conclusions: The educational intervention was partially effective in improving all health behaviors of the nursing students over the long term. Nursing students who demonstrated higher levels of benefit from the intervention were more likely to have more positive health behaviors at the 3-year point. The findings of this study highlight the importance of the integration of health behaviors within the nursing curriculum.