Changes and specificities in health behaviors among healthcare students over an 8-year period.

BackgroundHealthcare students are future health care providers and serve as role models and coaches to enhance behaviors for healthy lifestyles. However healthcare students face multiple stressors that could lead to adopting risk behaviors.ObjectivesTo assess the changes in health risk factors among healthcare students between 2007 and 2015, and to identify specific health behaviors based on the curriculum in a population of healthcare students.MethodsTwo cross sectionnal studies were conducted in 2007 and 2015 among nursing, medical, pharmacy, and physiotherapy students (Rouen, France). During compulsory courses and examination sessions students filled self-administered questionnaires on socio-demographic characteristics and behavior as: tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, cannabis consumption, eating disorders, regular practice of sport, perceived health, stress and use of psychotropic drugs.Results2,605 healthcare students were included (1,326 in 2007 and 1,279 in 2015), comprising 1,225 medical students (47.0%), 738 nursing students (28.3%), 362 pharmacy students (13.9%), and 280 physiotherapy students (10.8%). Between 2007 and 2015, occasional binge drinking and regular practice of sport increased significantly among healthcare students, respectively AOR = 1.48 CI95% (1.20-1.83) and AOR = 1.33 CI95% (1.11-1.60), regular cannabis consumption decreased significantly, AOR = 0.32 CI95% (0.19-0.54). There was no change in smoking or overweight/obese. There was a higher risk of frequent binge drinking and a lower risk of tobacco smoking in all curricula than in nursing students. Medical students practiced sport on a more regular basis, were less overweight/obese, had fewer eating disorders than nursing students.ConclusionOur findings demonstrate a stable frequency of classic behaviors as smoking but a worsening of emerging behaviors as binge drinking among healthcare students between 2007 and 2015. Health behaviors differed according to healthcare curricula and nursing students demonstrated higher risks. As health behaviors are positively related to favorable attitudes towards preventive counseling, therefore healthcare students should receive training in preventive counseling and develop healthy lifestyles targeted according to the health curriculum

Prevalence, Risk Behaviors and Motivations of Electronic Cigarette Use among French College Students

International audience[No abstract

Eating disorders among healthcare students in three European countries

International audienceBackgroundEating disorders are particularly frequent in young adults, college students included. However eating disorders among European healthcare students are not well known. The objectives were to identify the prevalence of eating disorder (ED) among healthcare students and the associated factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in France (Rouen, West opal coast and Lille), in Romania (Cluj-Napoca), and in Moldavia (Chisinau). An anonymous self-questionnaire collected age, gender, year of study, depression, anxiety and stress (DASS 21), estimated academic level, smoking and eating disorder (SCOFF test). A clinical algorithm (Expali™) identified the four Broad Categories of ED (hyperphagic, bulimic, anorexic and other ED) derived from DSM-5 with the combine of answers to SCOFF test and body mass index.ResultsIn total, 1273 healthcare students were included (434 in France, 270 in Moldavia and 569 in Romania). Sex ratio (M:F) was 0.30 and the mean of age 20.2 [standard deviation (SD) = 1.32]. The body mass index were 13.1% of underweight and 14.4% of overweight/obese without difference between the countries (P = 0.34). The prevalence of ED was 19.6% in France, 35.6% in Moldavia and 24.2% in Romania (P < 0.0001). Bulimic disorder was the main ED (42.2%) following by hyperphagic disorders (32.6%), anorexic disorders (10.9%) and other ED (14.3%) with difference between the 3 countries (P = 0.004). After logistic regression, the associated factors with ED were: gender [female AOR = 2.0; 95% CI (1.3–3.1)], year of study [first year AOR = 2.0; 95% CI (1.3–2.9)], depression [AOR = 1.8; 95% CI (1.3–2.5)], anxiety [AOR = 1.6; 95% CI (1.1–2.2)] and country [Moldavia AOR = 2.1; 95% CI (1.4–3.0)].ConclusionOur study provides different prevalence of ED among healthcare students in three European countries. The categories of ED were also different according the country. Individual as well as institutional interventions should be targeted university students with the help an easy and quick screening test such as the SCOFF questionnaire, especially in the first year of study

Baseline characteristics and frequencies of substance use of healthcare students in 2007 and 2015 (N = 2605).

<p>Baseline characteristics and frequencies of substance use of healthcare students in 2007 and 2015 (N = 2605).</p

Prevalence of tobacco smoking in 2007 and 2015 according to the curriculum of healthcare students.

<p>N = 2605</p> <p>*:<0.05</p> <p>**:<0.001.</p

Curriculum models: specificities in health behaviors according to the curriculum of healthcare students after logistic regression (N = 2605).

<p>Curriculum models: specificities in health behaviors according to the curriculum of healthcare students after logistic regression (N = 2605).</p

Time trend model: changes in health risk behavior between 2007 and 2015 after logistic regression (N = 2605).

<p>Time trend model: changes in health risk behavior between 2007 and 2015 after logistic regression (N = 2605).</p