LIFESTYLES IN HUMAN HEALTH STUDENTS: AN ANALYSIS ACCORDING TO NOLA PENDER

Abstract

Objective: To analyze lifestyles according to Nola Pender’s model among students at the Faculty of Health Sciences at a university in Ecuador. Material and Method: Descriptive, quantitative, non experimental, crosssectional study. The population comprised 1432 students from the Faculty of Human Health (September 2024 - February 2025). A sample of 303 students was obtained using stratified probability sampling and was distributed among five-degree programs: human medicine, nursing, clinical laboratory science, clinical psychology, and dentistry. The validated “Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile” questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.93) was used, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study was approved by an Ethics Committee and complied with bioethical principles. Results: Most of the participants were women (67.7%), most were between 18 and 21 years old (74.3%), and most were Human Medicine students (43.6%). Analysis of general lifestyle revealed a slight tendency toward an unhealthy profile (54.5%). Unhealthy habits were identified in dimensions such as exercise (86.1%), health responsibility (79.5%), and stress management (80.2%), while self-actualization (69.3%), interpersonal support (58.7%), and nutrition (54.1%) reflected a healthy lifestyle. Finally, four of the five programs analyzed showed an unhealthy profile, with Clinical Laboratory Science being the area with the highest percentage (73.5%). Conclusion: Despite their training in healthcare, many students do not practice healthy habits, demonstrating a gap between theory and practice that compromises their future role as health promoters.