Abstract
Purporse : The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between a health promoting lifestyle and body composition in university students. The study subjects were 194 university students who attended K-university located in Chungnam. Methods : The data was collected between March 2 and May 31, 2004. The instrument used for this study was the modified Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile(HPLP) developed by Walker, Sechrist, & Pender(1987). The body composition was measured by In Body 3.0, a Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzer. The data was analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 10.0 program by t-test, ANOVA and pearson correlation coefficients. Results : The results of this study are as follows: 1) The scores of the Health Promoting Lifestyle(HPL) ranged from 79 to 170, with a mean score of 110(±15.8). The mean scores of sub-categorical HPL were self-actualization 31.8(±4.9), health responsibility 17.0(±4.0), exercise 8.3(±3.2), nutrition 15.4(±3.7), interpersonal relationships 20.3(±3.5) and stress management 17.2(±3.4). 2) The HPL according to the subjects' general characteristics had significant correlation to exercise amount(F=8.09, p<.01), drinking amount(F=6.56, p<.01), perceived health status(F=19.2, p<.01) and perceived health knowledge (F=15.9, p<.01). 3) The total HPL did not significantly correlate with any categories in body composition. The exercise area of sub-categorical HPL had significant positive correlation to height (r=.199, p<.01), weight(r=.181, p<.05) and soft lean mass(r=.257, p<.01), and negative correlation to percent body fat(r=-.255, p<.01) in body composition. Conclusion : The results suggest that the exercise area of sub-categorical HPL was an important variable for an exercise program's development such as nursing intervention for the health promotion of university students.