The influence of personal characteristics on student nurse health attitudes

Objectives To measure student nurses’ attitudes toward health and identify the influence of demographic characteristics and psychological wellbeing on these attitudes. Design A cross‐sectional survey between April and June 2006. Setting An Australian University in South‐East Queensland. Subjects 369 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing, Pre‐Registration Program. Main outcome measures Attitudes to health, measured by the Health Attitude Scale‐form B and psychological wellbeing, measured by the General Health Questionnaire‐28. Results Student nurses were generally positive in their ‘feelings’, ‘beliefs’ and ‘intentions’ towards health behaviour. There was a significant difference in ‘feelings’ towards health by year of BN program (F(2,336) = 3.128, p<0.05), with respondents becoming more positive as they progressed through their study. Those not in employment had more positive ‘feelings’ towards health than those in employment (F(1,366) = 5.642, p<0.05) and the better reported psychological health, the more positive the ‘feelings’ (F(2,366) = 3.862, p<0.05). Older age groups reported more positive health ‘beliefs’ (F(3,350) = 4.414, p<0.01) and ‘intentions to act’ (F(3,350) = 2.986, p<0.05). Males were more positive than females in their health ‘beliefs’ (F(1,337) = 4.246, p<0.05). Conclusions Individual characteristics influenced student nurses’ attitudes towards health and measurement which incorporates ‘feelings’, ‘beliefs’ and ‘intentions to act’ as components of health attitudes provide a clearer picture of where these influences lie. Further research is advocated to replicate these findings in a broader sample and determine their implications in the design of primary prevention strategies.