TITLE:
Health related quality of life of university students in Lebanon: Lifestyles behaviors and socio-demographic predictors
AUTHORS:
Ibtissam Sabbah, Hala Sabbah, Rania Khamis, Sanaa Sabbah, Nabil Droubi
KEYWORDS:
Health Related Quality of Life; Lifestyle Behaviors; SF-36; Health Promotion; Young University Students
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.5 No.7D,
July
10,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Measuring and monitoring health related
quality of life (HRQoL) in youth are important for both researchers and
decision makers. During the time that young people are at university, many will
encounter a number of academic, as well as social, emotional and psychological
difficulties. The aims of this study are to: 1) assess the health related
quality of life of youths using SF-36 questionnaire and its factor
determinants, and 2) provide an objective basis for a health promotion
structure. Methods: This is a
cross-sectional study in South Lebanon, in a population of 282 young
university students attending a public university which is the largest and most
widespread institution of higher education in Lebanon. Socioeconomic and lifestyle behaviors data were collected. Students’
HRQoL was measured using the SF-36 Health Survey. Results: The mean age of the respondents
was 18.7 years (SD = 1.16), 80.1% were women, 64.5% were living in rural area.
The proportion of current smokers was significantly greater among men than
women (26.8% vs. 11.5%, p Functioning (β = -5.16, 95% CI = -7.67 -2.65), and Vitality ( β= -5.85,
95% CI = -10.24 -1.45). The HRQoL of the students studying business and
economics was higher than those studying health. Conclusion: Youths’ HRQoL is
affected by socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics. Effective
health-promoting actions, social support, and counseling services should be implemented
in the campus and are a necessary step towards the main goal of improving the
overall HRQoL of the university young students in Lebanon.