Comparison of healthy lifestyle behaviors of Spanish and Turkish nursing students: A cross-sectional study
This cross-sectional study comparing 891 Spanish and Turkish nursing students reveals that while Spanish students generally exhibit healthier lifestyles in areas like physical activity and nutrition, Turkish students demonstrate better stress management and higher formal education on healthy habits, highlighting distinct cultural priorities for health interventions such as smoking cessation in Turkey and alcohol reduction in Spain.
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University life is often a time of firsts: the first time living away from home, the first time managing a full schedule without parental oversight, and the first time making daily choices about food, sleep, and exercise that will shape a person's long-term health. For students training to become nurses, these habits carry a weight beyond their own well-being. Because nurses serve as role models for the communities they care for, the way they live their own lives can subtly influence the health behaviors of the patients they treat. Researchers have long been interested in how culture and education shape these daily choices, particularly when comparing young adults from different parts of the world. One such investigation looked at the daily routines of nursing students in two distinct countries: Turkey and Spain. By examining how these students manage their physical activity, nutrition, stress, and social connections, the study aimed to understand how different cultural backgrounds and educational systems might lead to different health outcomes.
To explore this, a team of researchers from universities in both nations gathered data from nearly nine hundred nursing students. They invited 462 students from Turkey and 429 students from Spain to fill out a detailed survey about their lives. The questionnaire asked about basic facts like age, where they lived, and their family's education level, as well as specific habits such as how many cigarettes they smoked, how often they drank alcohol, and how they spent their free time. The core of the survey was a tool designed to measure a "health-promoting lifestyle," which breaks down healthy living into six key areas: taking responsibility for one's own health, personal spiritual growth, physical activity, relationships with others, nutrition, and managing stress. The students rated how often they engaged in various behaviors, from eating a balanced meal to exercising regularly, allowing the researchers to build a clear picture of their overall wellness.
The results revealed a striking contrast between the two groups. On the whole, the Spanish nursing students reported living healthier lifestyles than their Turkish counterparts. This difference was most visible in how often the Spanish students engaged in physical exercise, how carefully they chose their food, how they nurtured their spiritual lives, and how they maintained close relationships with friends and family. However, the Turkish students showed a distinct strength in one specific area: they were better at managing stress. While the Spanish students generally scored higher across most categories, the Turkish students demonstrated a greater ability to handle the pressures of daily life.
When the researchers looked at the specific habits that often cause health problems, the patterns shifted. The Spanish students were more likely to consume alcohol, with about a quarter of them reporting regular drinking, compared to only about one in eight Turkish students. Conversely, while the percentage of smokers was similar in both groups, the Turkish students who did smoke tended to consume a significantly higher number of cigarettes each day. The students' body mass index, a measure of weight relative to height, was slightly higher among the Spanish group, though both groups generally fell within a healthy range. The living situations also differed greatly; most Turkish students lived in university dormitories, while the majority of Spanish students continued to live with their families. These living arrangements appeared to influence their habits, with those living at home in Turkey showing slightly better scores in taking responsibility for their health.
The study also found that gender and the year of study played a role in these behaviors. In both countries, male students tended to be more active in sports and reported better overall health habits, while female students scored higher on maintaining strong interpersonal relationships. As students progressed through their nursing degrees, their health behaviors generally improved. Those in their third and fourth years reported better stress management and healthier lifestyles than those in their first year. Interestingly, the source of health education mattered. Turkish students were more likely to have received training on healthy living within their university curriculum, whereas Spanish students were more likely to have learned these habits outside of the university setting.
Ultimately, the researchers concluded that while both groups of future nurses are generally healthy, there are specific areas where each group needs support. The findings suggest that in Turkey, efforts to reduce smoking and improve nutrition and physical activity would be beneficial. In Spain, the focus should shift toward reducing alcohol consumption. The study indicates that health programs for nursing students should not be one-size-fits-all; instead, they must be tailored to the specific cultural and socioeconomic realities of the students. By understanding these differences, universities can better prepare their students not only to care for others but to maintain their own well-being throughout their careers.
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