RESEARCH PAPER
Pro-health behaviours – a sense of coherence as the key to a healthy lifestyle in rural areas?
 
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1
Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences, Medical Department, University of Rzeszow, Poland
 
2
Independent Practical Obstetric Skills Unit, Medical University, Lublin, Poland
 
3
Medical Faculty, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland
 
 
Corresponding author
Monika Binkowska-Bury   

Institute of Nursing and Health Sciences, Medical Department, University of Rzeszow, Poland
 
 
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2016;23(2):345-349
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Background:
Health-related behaviours and lifestyle are related to the salutogenic concept of health, whereas the major public health problems faced in rural areas include difficulties in encouraging people to a healthy lifestyle.

Objective:
The aim of the study is to explore mutual relationships between psychosocial-demographic factors and a sense of coherence.

Material and Methods:
Two-stage sampling was applied. Data were collected with the use of the Juczynski Health Behaviours Inventory and Antonovsky’s SOC-29 (Sense of Coherence Questionnaire). The study was conducted among 668 adults. Data were statistically prepared using one-way ANOVA test, linear correlation analysis, and linear regression model.

Results:
A higher level of pro-health behaviours is associated with gender, self-rated health, sense of coherence and age. Almost half of the farmers were characterized by a low level of pro-health attitudes. A higher level of pro-health behaviours was demonstrated by less than one-fifth of the farmers.

Conclusions:
There is a strong association between sense of coherence and pro-health behaviours. Farmers have bad habits and pro-health attitudes to health and poorer self-assessment of their health. There is a great need to monitor health-related behaviour, increase the effectiveness of health promotion and health education in shaping a pro-health lifestyle among residents of rural areas, particularly among farmers.

 
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ISSN:1232-1966
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