AUTHOR=Ahdut-HaCohen Ronit , Carmel Paz 

TITLE=Healthy lifestyles in pre-service teachers in Israel: the impact of academic institutions

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1191814

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1191814

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Purpose</title><p>This study examines the impact of academic institutions on changes to students’ awareness and habits regarding a healthy lifestyle, specifically through nutrition and physical exercise, following the Covid-19 pandemic.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Design and subjects</title><p>In May 2020, quantitative online questionnaires were completed by 266 pre-service teachers (83.5% female), aged 19–63, who were studying at an academic institution in Israel.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Setting</title><p>The questionnaire, which included health-related 15 items, as well as a number of demographic questions, was distributed <italic>via</italic> social media, academic mailing lists, and the researchers’ colleagues.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Methods</title><p>The respondents were asked to provide socio-demographic data and information regarding their health-related habits, such as smoking and exercising, at two timepoints: prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and during the first lockdown in Israel (March–May 2020).</p></sec><sec id="sec5"><title>Analysis</title><p>Statistical analysis included paired <italic>t</italic>-tests, Wilcoxon and McNemar tests, Pearsons’s correlations, and hierarchical regressions.</p></sec><sec id="sec6"><title>Results</title><p>The academic institution’s promoting of a healthy lifestyle, as perceived by students, was found to contribute to the explained variance (EPV) of their maintaining a healthy lifestyle, prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic (<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 9.4%, <italic>p</italic> &lt; .001and <italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup> = 2.4%, <italic>p</italic> = 0.009, respectively), beyond the respondents’ demographic characteristics. Moreover, correlations were found between the institution’s promoting of a healthy lifestyle at both timepoints. Respondents who perceived their institution as promoting a healthy lifestyle prior to the pandemic maintained healthier lifestyles than their peers; healthier lifestyles were also maintained by respondents who were unmarried, non-smokers, more educated, and watched less television. Finally, the institution’s promoting of a healthy lifestyle prior to the pandemic significantly contributed to the students’ maintaining a healthy lifestyle and healthy nutrition during the pandemic.</p></sec><sec id="sec7"><title>Conclusion</title><p>The findings of this study highlight the impact of academic institutions on maintaining healthy lifestyles, even in times of crises and emergencies, thereby contributing to public health.</p></sec>