Lifestyle Health Behaviors of Nurses and Midwives: The ‘Fit for the Future’ Study

Lin Perry, Xiaoyue Xu, Robyn Gallagher, Rachel Nicholls, David Sibbritt and Christine Duffield
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Lin Perry: Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo 2007, Australia
Xiaoyue Xu: Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo 2007, Australia
Robyn Gallagher: Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Camperdown 2006, Australia
Rachel Nicholls: Cancer Society of New Zealand, Wellington 6022, New Zealand
David Sibbritt: Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo 2007, Australia
Christine Duffield: Faculty of Health, Edith Cowan University, Perth 6027, Australia

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: Nurses and midwives (nurses) are the principle role models and health educators for the wider population. This study sought to identify the health-related behaviors of the nursing workforce of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, compared to contemporary recommendations for healthy living and to the Australian general population, matched by gender and age. An electronic cross-sectional survey delivered in 2014–2015 recruited 5041 nurses through the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association and professional networks. Validated health behavior measures were collected and compared to Australian National Health Survey data. Compared with younger nurses, older nurses reported greater adherence to fruit and vegetable guideline recommendations, but were more likely to be overweight or obese. Younger nurses (25–34 years) had the highest risk of harmful drinking. Compared with the Australian general population, slightly higher percentages of nurses met dietary recommendations and slightly fewer were obese, had central adiposity or smoked. Nurses had lower physical activity levels and higher levels of risky drinking across most gender and age groups. Many nurses have lifestyle health behaviors that place them at high risk for developing non-communicable diseases, sometimes at higher risk than the Australian population to whom they deliver health education. Health promotion strategies for nurses are urgently required.

Keywords: health behaviors; health promotion; nursing; midwifery; workforce; non-communicable diseases; lifestyle; ageing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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