The relationship between professional self-concept and health promoting behaviors among nursing students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2020-2021

Abstract

Aims & Background: Self-concept is defined as a person's mental image of himself. It seems that in some university fields and different professions, self-concept is more important, and in this field, nursing has a special place. According to the limited study, in the present study, it was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between professional self-concept and health-promoting behaviors among nursing students. Materials & Methods: 121 nursing students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences participated in this descriptive correlational study. Three questionnaires were used to collect data. The first part of the questionnaire includes demographic characteristics with six questions, including age, sex, illness, economic status, marital status, and academic term. The second part of the health-promoting behaviors questionnaire includes fifty-two questions in six dimensions: responsibility for health, physical activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, stress management, and interpersonal relationships. The third part of the nursing professional self-concept questionnaire includes thirty-six questions in six dimensions: general nursing self-concept, care, knowledge, interaction with colleagues, communication and leadership. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 software and descriptive and inferential statistical methods (Smirnoff Kolmograph, ANOVA and t-test) according to the objectives of the study. Findings: The average score of students' professional self-concept was 153.34±19.35. The average nursing self-concept was 25.93, care 26.01, knowledge 25.50, interaction with colleagues 26.73, communication 24.45, and leadership 25.57. The average score of the total health promoting behaviors was 158.83 ± 31.36. The mean responsibility for health was 23.80, physical activity 15.80, nutrition 18.95, spiritual development 26.62, stress management 18.72, and interpersonal relationships 20.64. There was no significant relationship between the average score of professional self-concept and the average score of students' health-promoting behaviors (p>0.05). There was a significant difference in the mean scores of professional self-concept according to gender and economic status (p<0.05). However, according to marital status, history of illness, academic semester and age of students, there was no significant difference (p>0/05). Also, the average scores of health-promoting behaviors were significantly different according to age and economic status (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference according to marital status, history of illness, academic semester, and gender of students (p>0.05). Ressults : The results of the present study showed that the level of professional self-concept of nursing students is not related to the amount of health promoting behaviors in them. Considering the overall average score of professional self-concept and its distance from the highest obtainable score, as well as considering the high average overall score of health-promoting behaviors among students, it is possible to include the teaching unit of promoting behaviors. Health based on Pender's health model, as well as strengthening professional self-concept, in the nursing curriculum and at the bedside by teaching nursing students centered on these concepts, provide the means to improve the mental and physical health of nursing students.