Jacqueline B. Bonifacio, LPT, PhD
University of Baguio
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7361-3970;
email: enjellevyne@gmail.com
Esmeralda M. Gatchallan, MD, MACT
University of Baguio
Paciencia S. Calpito, RMT, LPT, PhD
Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary, Canada
ABSTRACT
This paper aimed to develop a youth health framework founded on the health-related behavior status among first-year college students in the University of Baguio in the school year 2014 to 2015 using a questionnaire from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Specifically, the study surveyed the extent to which the freshmen engage in health risk behavior along behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence; sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection; tobacco and drug use; alcohol use; unhealthy dietary behaviors; and inadequate physical activity, including their perceived consequences. T-test and Analysis of Variance were used to determine significant differences in health risk behaviors along gender and program, respectively. Overall, the extent of health risk behavior among first-year students were interpreted as non-risky/very healthy (M=1.79). There were significant differences (p=.000<0.05) in the extent of health risk behavior among the respondents along gender and program of choice in behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence, alcohol use, and inadequate physical activity. Meanwhile, sexual behaviors; tobacco and drug use; and unhealthy dietary behaviors (p>0.05) show that the differences among the program of choice of UB first-year students were not statistically significant. Furthermore, there is still a need to increase the extent of awareness on the negative health effects of all areas of health risk behaviors covered in this study, with lifestyle factors, specifically diet and exercise, as the major concern when dealing with the health status UB freshmen.
Keywords: medical education, youth health, health risk behavior, descriptive-status, University of Baguio
| Published January 15, 2019 |
Issue UB RJ Vol. 42, No. 1 2018 |
Source: UB Research Journal, Vol. 42, No. 1 January-June 2018
