Health literacy, health status and health behaviors of German students- study protocol for the "Healthy Habits" cohort study

Subjective Health Status, Health-Related Behavior, and Health Literacy of Health Professional Students: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study

The importance of health promotion for health professional students is increasingly crucial, as the rising requirements for those students can have a negative impact on their health. Despite this awareness, there is still limited knowledge in Germany about the specific health needs of this group of students. This study's aim was, therefore, to assess the subjective health of first-year students and to identify health needs. Thus, this study is based on an online survey using standardized measurement instruments. First-year students from three degree programs were included. The data were analyzed descriptively. A total of n = 98 (72.6%) participated in the survey. The results showed that a major proportion of participants (80.3%) rated their health positively, but a significant proportion reported weight disorders (24%) and pre-existing health conditions (62.1%) at baseline. Interestingly, a high proportion (59%) reported a high level of mental well-being at the time of the survey. However, worrying findings regarding lifestyle behaviors, including physical inactivity (40.6%), smoking (20%), risky alcohol use (24%), and unhealthy eating habits (37%) were determined. In terms of health literacy, around 45% of students rated their health competencies as problematic. Furthermore, it was found that students with low health literacy had a significantly higher prevalence of low mental well-being (53.3% vs. 30.8%, p = 0.036) and unhealthy eating habits (48.8% vs. 26.5%, p = 0.027) compared to students with sufficient health literacy. Health professional students should be considered a relevant target group for health and health competence promotion from the beginning of their studies. The identified fields of action should be addressed in the context of health promotion. This is of particular importance as they are not only aimed at improving the students' well-being but also will later work directly with patients and, therefore, have a direct influence on the health of others.

Vaping Behavior in Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) continue to be popular among young adults. These devices are often advertised as a healthy alternative to quitting tobacco cigarettes. However, young adults represent a population who view it as a novel behavior that provides a sense of popularity, social acceptance, and desired physiologic properties. The objective of this study was to examine characteristics of vaping behavior among college students and explore possible associations between groups of vaping behavior (stopped, initiated, increased, decreased, stayed the same).

METHODS

In a multi-center cross-sectional study, 656 students from University of Tampa in the United States and University of Applied Sciences in Germany (IST) were recruited to answer a 31-item online questionnaire. A chi-square test was used to evaluate associations between the groups.

RESULTS

Prevalence rates indicated approximately 31% of all students were currently using ENDS. Even though more negative than positive experiences with ENDS were reported, most students stated their vaping increased during COVID-19 lockdowns. Addiction and stress relief emerged to be predictors (P < .001) of an increase in vaping, whereas social motives were not statistically significant. Living situation (P = .63) and depression (P = .10) were not significantly associated with vaping behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

ENDS products continue to yield very high levels of nicotine creating addiction in young adults. Addiction counseling and evidenced-based practices should be employed at every level (individual, community, and school). Additionally, mental health counseling for students in pandemic and high-stress environments may help to combat stress in a more proactive manner than self-medicating.

Health of (dual) health professional students in German-speaking countries: a scoping review

University education marks a new stage in life, which is associated with unknown demands and challenges and can have a negative impact on students' health. Therefore, health promotion in the university setting is becoming increasingly important. In this context, scientific data on the health situation play a crucial role in improving students' health. Thus, the aim of the scoping review was to highlight the current scope of research on the health of health professional students. It also explored problems and outlined key future challenges and solutions. The review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for a scoping review. A total of nine databases (PubMed, CINAHL, CareLit, LIVIVO, Scopus, Psyndex, PEDro, OTseeker, Google Scholar) were systematically searched. The following search criteria were defined: health professional students, health, Germany, German-speaking countries, all types of sources from 2012 to present are selected. The research studies were mapped in a table and health evidence of included studies was summarized narratively. The initial search resulted in 23,938 records. Seven records met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Six cross-sectional studies were conducted in Germany, and one cross-sectional study was conducted in Switzerland. In fact, one study included a representative population. Qualitative studies were not found. The most studies investigated health status, health behavior, and personal resources. Most of the studies examined female nursing students. The included studies indicated that the young students reported physical or mental health conditions. In addition, the studies also identified health resources of the students that need to be improved. In summary, there is currently limited health evidence on this group of students in German-speaking countries. Therefore, further research is needed to generate knowledge and comprehensively describe the health situation.

Effects of a Nudging Cue Targeting Food Choice in a University Cafeteria: A Field Study

Many students approaching adulthood often choose high-calorie food products. Concurrently, health interventions applied during this life phase can potentially lead to a healthier lifestyle. Nudge health interventions in experimental cafeteria settings have been found to improve eating behavior effectively, yet research in real-world settings is lacking. Accepting nudges as health interventions impacts nudge effectiveness. The present study applies a pretest-posttest design for a period of three consecutive weeks (no nudge, nudge, no nudge), testing the effectiveness of the so-called Giacometti cue on the number of calories purchased in a real-world cafeteria. Students were exposed to the nudge during the intervention week when entering the cafeteria and when choosing their meals. After purchasing a meal, their choice was recorded, and they completed a questionnaire. The Giacometti cue immediately reduced the number of calories purchased (comparing weeks one and two). After nudge removal, an effect was identified, increasing the number of calories purchased (comparing weeks two and three). Contrary to expectations, higher nudge acceptance resulted in more calories purchased. Neither awareness of the nudge's presence when buying food nor the interaction between acceptance and awareness played a role. We explore potential explanations for the Giacometti cue's effects.

Protokoll zur Durchführung eines Scoping Reviews zur Gesundheit von (dual) Studierenden in Gesundheitsfachberufen im deutschsprachigen Raum

Hintergrund

Mit dem vorliegenden A‑priori-Protokoll beschreiben wir den methodischen Ansatz eines geplanten Reviews zur Gesundheit von (dual) Studierenden in Gesundheitsfachberufen. Vor dem Hintergrund steigender beruflicher Anforderungen in der Gesundheitsversorgung in Deutschland sprach sich der Wissenschaftsrat im Jahre 2012 dafür aus, einen Teil der Beschäftigten in den Gesundheitsfachberufen auf hochschulischem Niveau zu qualifizieren. Wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse über Studierende im Allgemeinen weisen darauf hin, dass studienspezifische Anforderungen und Herausforderungen die Gesundheit negativ beeinflussen können. Folglich gewinnen Interventionen zur Gesundheitsförderung von Studierenden zunehmend an Bedeutung. Die Forschungsliteratur zur Gesundheit von Studierenden in Gesundheitsfachberufen wurde bislang jedoch noch nicht umfassend geprüft. Daher möchten wir mit dem Review eine Orientierung über die vorhandene Forschungsliteratur ermöglichen und Evidenzen bündeln.

Ziel

Wir möchten ein Review durchführen, um die Forschungsliteratur zur Gesundheit von (dual) Studierenden in Gesundheitsfachberufen im deutschsprachigen Raum zu identifizieren und darzustellen.

Einschlusskriterien

In dem Review schließen wir (dual) Studierende in den Gesundheitsfachberufen Pflege, Physiotherapie, Ergotherapie und Logopädie ein, unabhängig von Herkunft oder Geschlecht. Rückschlüsse zur Gesundheit der Studierenden erhalten wir durch Einschluss von Gesundheitsindikatoren zum Gesundheitsstatus, zu Verhaltensweisen und personale Ressourcen. Wir schließen empirische Studien und graue Literatur ein, unabhängig von ihrer Qualität.

Methode

Das geplante Review führen wir nach dem vom Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) entwickelten Methodik für Scoping Reviews durch.