Lifestyle Practices, Satisfaction with Life and the Level of Perceived Stress of Polish and Foreign Medical Students Studying in Poland
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Participants
2.3. Ethical Issues
2.4. Research Instruments
- (1)
- Fantastic Lifestyle Questionnaire (FLQ) [34,35] examines important lifestyle practices of respondents from the last month divided into nine groups, i.e.,: F—family and friends, A—activity, N—nutrition, T—nicotine and stimulants, A—alcohol, S—sleep, seatbelts and stress, T—type personality, I—perception and insight, and C—career/social roles. Each group contains from two to four questions, and the score depends on the respondent answers and ranged from 0 to 2 points. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the original English version of the scale was 0.88 [34,35]. The FLQ total score was computed as the sum of all items.
- (2)
- Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) contains five statements regarding perceived satisfaction with one’s life, which can be scored from 1 to 7, where 1 indicates definite disagreement, and 7 indicates definite agreement with the provided statement. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the original English version of the scale was 0.87 [36]. The SWLS total score was calculated as the sum of all five items.
- (3)
- Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) includes 10 questions dealing with perceived stress during the previous month. Each question should indicate how often the respondent was thinking and feeling in a similar way and the answer ranged from 0 to 4 points, where 0 indicates never and 4 indicates I was thinking or feeling in a similar way very often. The Cronbach alpha coefficient for the original English version of the scale ranged from 0.84 to 0.86 [37]. The PSS-10 total score was computed as the sum of all items.
2.5. Data Collection Process
2.6. Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Descriptive Statistics of Polish and Foreign Students for the Tested Variables
3.2. Association of Lifestyle Practices, Life Satisfaction and the Level of Perceived Stress in Polish and in Foreign Students with Chosen Sociodemographic Characteristics
4. Discussion
Study Limitations
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Byram, M.; Dervin, F. Students, Staff and Academic Mobility in Higher Education; Cambridge Scholars Publishers: Cambridge, UK, 2008. [Google Scholar]
- Grabowska, M. Migracja edukacyjna polskich studentów na tle trendów światowych. Studia i Prace WNEiZ 2013, 32, 113–123. [Google Scholar]
- Hut, P.; Jaroszewska, E. Studenci Zagraniczni w Polsce na tle Migracji Edukacyjnych na Świecie. Badania. Ekspertyzy. Rekomendacje; Fundacja Instytut Spraw Publicznych: Warsaw, Poland, 2011. [Google Scholar]
- Rodríguez González, C.; Bustillo Mesanza, R.; Mariel, P. The determinants of international student mobility flows: An empirical study on the Erasmus programme. High Educ. 2011, 62, 413–430. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Findlay, A.M.; Stam, A.; King, R.; Ruiz-Gelices, E. International opportunities: Searching for the meaning of student migration. Geogr. Helv. 2005, 60, 192–200. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Findlay, A.; Russell, K.; Smith, F.; Geddes, A.; Skeldon, R. World Class? An Investigation of Globalisation, Difference and International Student Mobility. Trans. Inst. Br. Geogr. 2011, 37, 118–131. [Google Scholar]
- Raghuram, R. Theorising the Spaces of Student Migration. Popul. Space Place 2013, 19, 138–154. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Berry, J.W.; Phinney, J.S.; Sam, D.L.; Vedder, P. Immigrant youth: Acculturation, identity, and adaptation. Appl. Psychol. 2006, 55, 303–332. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Smith, R.A.; Khawaja, N.G. A review of acculturation experiences of international students. Int. J. Intercult. Relat. 2011, 35, 699–713. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Berry, J.W. Acculturation: Living successfully in two cultures. Int. J. Intercult. Relat. 2005, 29, 697–712. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Yan, Z.; FitzPatric, K. Acculturation and health behaviors among international students: A qualitative approach. Nurs. Health Sci. 2016, 18, 58–63. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Blaxter, M. Health and Lifestyles; Taylor and Francis e-Library; Routledge: London, UK, 2005; pp. 6–15. Available online: https://books.google.pl/books?id=VbWMh5X2HncC&lpg=PT5&lr&hl=pl&pg=PT5#v=onepage&q&f=false (accessed on 16 May 2020).
- Woynarowska, B. Edukacja Zdrowotna—Podręcznik Akademicki; Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN: Warsaw, Poland, 2008. [Google Scholar]
- Hovhannisyan, M.G. Hygienic Characteristics of Nutrition among First-Year Foreign Students Studying at the Yerevan State Medical University. New Armen. Med. J. 2009, 3, 68–76. [Google Scholar]
- Zarei, F.; Mohd Taib, M.N.; Zarei, M. Nutrition and Weight Management Knowledge, Dietary Intake and Body Weight Status in Iranian Postgraduate Students in University Putra Malaysia. Pakistan J. Nutr. 2014, 13, 351–358. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Haq, I.; Mariyam, Z.; Li, M.; Huang, X.; Jiang, P.; Zeb, F.; Wu, X.; Feng, Q.; Zhou, M. A Comparative Study of Nutritional Status, Knowledge Attitude and Practices (KAP) and Dietary Intake between International and Chinese Students in Nanjing, China. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 1910. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Loomes, S.; Croft, A. An investigation into the eating behaviour of international students studying at an Australian university: Should we be concerned? J. High Educ. Pol. Manag. 2013, 35, 483–494. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Perez-Cueto, F.; Verbeke, W.; Lachat, C.; Remaut-De Winter, A.M. Changes in dietary habits following temporal migration. The case of international students in Belgium. Appetite 2009, 52, 83–88. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Cebirbay, M.; Aktas, N.; Calderoni, M. Determination of breakfast habits and knowledge of foreign undergraduates studying at Selcuk University in Turkey. Progr. Nutr. 2011, 13, 276–285. [Google Scholar]
- Choi, Y.J.; Hwang, J.; Yi, J. Acculturation, Body Perception, and Weight Status among Vietnamese American Students. J. Immigr. Minor. Health 2011, 13, 1116–1124. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Angeline, M.; Evengård, B.; Palmgren, H. Illness and risk behaviour in health care student studying abroad. Med. Educ. 2015, 49, 684–691. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Marcantonio, T.L.; Jozkowski, K.N.; Angelone, D.J.; Joppa, M. Students’ alcohol use, sexual behaviors, and contraceptive use while studying abroad. J. Community Health 2019, 44, 68–73. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Aresi, G.; Moore, S.C.; Berridge, D.M.; Marta, E. A Longitudinal Study of European Students’ Alcohol Use and Related Behaviors as They Travel Abroad to Study. Subst. Use Misuse 2019, 54, 1167–1177. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lu, H. Burgers or Tofu? Eating Between Two Worlds: Risk Information Seeking and Processing During Dietary Acculturation. Health Commun. 2015, 30, 758–771. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Study in Poland. Available online: http://www.studyinpoland.pl/en/news/72-foreign-students-in-poland-numbers-and-facts-2018 (accessed on 28 January 2020).
- Lipowski, M. Experience of Erasmus students studying in Poland. In: Knowledge and Learning: Global Empowerment. In Proceedings of the Management, Knowledge and Learning International Conference International School for Social and Business Studies, Celje, Slovenia, 20–22 June 2012; pp. 751–758. [Google Scholar]
- Yang, X.Y.; Yang, F.J. Acculturation versus Cultural Retention: The Interactive Impact of Acculturation and Co-ethnic Ties on Substance Use Among Chinese Students in the United States. Immigr. Minority Health 2018, 20, 546. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Skromanis, S.; Cooling, N.; Rodgers, B.; Purton, T.; Fan, F.; Bridgman, H.; Harris, K.; Presser, J.; Mond, J. Health and Well-Being of International University Students, and Comparison with Domestic Students, in Tasmania, Australia. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 1147. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Aresi, G.; Moore, S.; Marta, E. Italian credit mobility students significantly increase their alcohol intake, risky drinking and related consequences during the study abroad experience. Alcohol Alcohol. 2016, 51, 723–726. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Klimczak, K.; Majda, A. Health behavior among foreign students studying medicine in Krakow. Nurs. Probl. 2011, 19, 55–62. [Google Scholar]
- Zalewska-Puchała, J.; Majda, A.; Bożek, J. Health behaviours of the students from Norway studying in Poland. Nurs. Probl. 2014, 22, 196–201. [Google Scholar]
- Zalewska-Puchała, J.; Majda, A.; Śmiałek, D. Health behaviours of the students of Taiwan origin studying in Poland. Nurs. Probl. 2013, 21, 374–381. [Google Scholar]
- Von Elm, E.; Altman, D.G.; Egger, M.; Pocock, S.J.; Gøtzsche, P.C.; Vandenbroucke, J.P. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: Guidelines for reporting observational studies. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 2008, 61, 344–349. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Wilson, D.; Nielsen, E.; Ciliska, D. Lifestyle Assessment: Testing the FANTASTIC Instrument. Can. Fam. Phys. 1984, 30, 1863–1866. [Google Scholar]
- Simpson, R.; Albert, W.; Wilson, D.; Ciliska, D.; Evans, C. Lifestyle Assessment: Part 4. The Halton Health Promotion Survey. Can. Fam. Phys. 1984, 30, 2147–2155. [Google Scholar]
- Diener, E.; Emmons, R.A.; Larsen, R.J.; Griffin, S. The Satisfaction with Life Scale. J. Pers. Assess 1985, 49, 71–75. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Juczyński, Z. Narzędzia Pomiaru Stresu i Radzenia Sobie ze Stresem; Pracownia Testów Psychologicznych Polskiego Towarzystwa Psychologicznego: Warsaw, Poland, 2009. [Google Scholar]
- Etikan, I.; Alkassim, R.; Abubakar, S. Comparison of snowball sampling and sequential sampling technique. Biom. Biostat. Int. J. 2016, 3, 55. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Fritz, C.O.; Morris, P.E.; Richler, J.J. Effect size estimates: Current use, calculations, and interpretation. J. Exp. Psychol. Gen. 2012, 141, 2–18. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Lolokote, S.; Hidru, T.H.; Li, X. Do socio-cultural factors influence college students’ self-rated health status and health-promoting lifestyles? A cross-sectional multicenter study in Dalian, China. BMC Public Health 2017, 17, 478. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Carpenter, L.J.; Garcia, A.A. Assessing outcomes of a study abroad course for nursing students. Nurs. Educ. Perspect. 2012, 33, 85–89. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Krämer, A.; Prüfer-Krämer, L.; Stock, C.; Tshiananga, J.T. Differences in health determinants between international and domestic students at a German university. J. Am. Coll. Health 2004, 53, 127–132. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pan, J.Y.; Wong, D.F.K.; Joubert, L.; Chan, C.L.W. The protective function of meaning of life on life satisfaction among Chinese students in Australia and Hong Kong: A cross-cultural comparative study. J. Am. Coll. Health 2008, 57, 221–232. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Długosz, P. Pokolenie przegranych? Kondycja psychospołeczna młodzieży w Europie środkowo-wschodniej. Zeszyty Pracy Socjalnej 2016, 21, 77–90. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Sprynska, Z.; Tychmanowicz, A.; Filipiak, S. Kto jest szczęśliwszy? Optymizm, wartości i satysfakcja z życia studentów polskich i ukraińskich. Czasopismo Psychologiczne Psychol. J. 2019, 25, 69–77. [Google Scholar]
- Jach, Ł. Poczucie dobrostanu psychicznego studentów w kontekście posiadanych zasobów finansowych i społecznych (A sense of students’ psychical well-being in context of possessed financial and social resources). Psychol. Ekon. 2012, 1, 59–74. [Google Scholar]
- Chen, Y.; Su, J.; Ren, Z.; Huo, Y. Optimism and Mental Health of Minority Students: Moderating Effects of Cultural Adaptability. Front. Psychol. 2019, 10, 2545. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Väfors Fritz, M.; Chin, D.; De Marinis, V. Stressors, anxiety, acculturation and adjustment among international and North American students. Int. J. Intercult. Relat. 2008, 32, 244–259. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Yan, Z.; Cardinal, B.J. Increasing Asian International College Students’ Physical Activity Behavior: A Review of the Youth Physical Activity Promotion Model. Diabetes Educ. 2013, 45, 35–45. [Google Scholar]
- Ryan, M.; Twibell, R. Concerns, values, stress, coping, health and educational outcomes of college students who studied abroad. Int. J. Intercul. Relat. 2000, 24, 409–435. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jackson, J. The language use, attitudes, and motivation of Chinese students prior to a semester-long sojourn in an English-speaking environment. Study Abroad Res. Second Lang. Acquis. Int. Educ. 2016, 1, 4–33. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bathke, A.; Kim, R. Keep calm and go abroad: The effect of learning abroad on student mental health. Front. Interdiscip. J. Study Abroad 2016, 27, 1–16. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Variables | Polish Students | Foreign Students | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M | SD | Alpha | M | SD | Alpha | |
Age | 22.10 | 4.46 | n/a | 21.69 | 3.48 | n/a |
Material situation (a) | 3.28 | 0.50 | n/a | 3.15 | 0.55 | n/a |
Self-Assessment of health condition (a) | 4.03 | 0.65 | n/a | 3.67 | 0.80 | n/a |
Self-Assessment of style of life (b) | 3.61 | 0.82 | n/a | 3.55 | 0.88 | n/a |
Students life has changed my lifestyle (c) | 3.17 | 0.74 | n/a | 3.45 | 0.69 | n/a |
Importance of to be healthy (d) | 9.16 | 1.29 | n/a | 8.78 | 1.60 | n/a |
FLQ | 36.26 | 6.21 | 0.78 | 33.55 | 6.71 | 0.80 |
SWLS | 23.69 | 5.12 | 0.84 | 23.89 | 5.99 | 0.82 |
PSS-10 | 22.78 | 3.87 | 0.86 | 20.34 | 5.88 | 0.76 |
Variables | Polish Students | Foreign Students | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FLQ | SWLS | PSS-10 | FLQ | SWLS | PSS-10 | |
Material situation (a) | 0.04 | 0.25 *** | −0.00 | 0.35 *** | 0.37 *** | −0.14 * |
Self-Assessment of health condition (a) | 0.35 *** | 0.38 *** | −0.10 | 0.38 *** | 0.39 *** | −0.17 ** |
Self-Assessment of style of life (b) | 0.55 *** | 0.37 *** | −0.11 | 0.40 *** | 0.31 *** | −0.20 ** |
Students life has changed my lifestyle (c) | −0.09 | 0.04 | 0.20 ** | −0.04 | −0.01 | 0.13 * |
Importance of to be healthy(d) | 0.44 *** | 0.26 *** | −0.11 | 0.25 *** | 0.17 ** | −0.16 * |
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Machul, M.; Bieniak, M.; Chałdaś-Majdańska, J.; Bąk, J.; Chrzan-Rodak, A.; Mazurek, P.; Pawłowski, P.; Makuch-Kuśmierz, D.; Obuchowska, A.; Bartoszek, A.; et al. Lifestyle Practices, Satisfaction with Life and the Level of Perceived Stress of Polish and Foreign Medical Students Studying in Poland. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 4445. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124445
Machul M, Bieniak M, Chałdaś-Majdańska J, Bąk J, Chrzan-Rodak A, Mazurek P, Pawłowski P, Makuch-Kuśmierz D, Obuchowska A, Bartoszek A, et al. Lifestyle Practices, Satisfaction with Life and the Level of Perceived Stress of Polish and Foreign Medical Students Studying in Poland. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(12):4445. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124445
Chicago/Turabian StyleMachul, Michał, Monika Bieniak, Justyna Chałdaś-Majdańska, Jadwiga Bąk, Agnieszka Chrzan-Rodak, Paulina Mazurek, Piotr Pawłowski, Daria Makuch-Kuśmierz, Anna Obuchowska, Adrianna Bartoszek, and et al. 2020. "Lifestyle Practices, Satisfaction with Life and the Level of Perceived Stress of Polish and Foreign Medical Students Studying in Poland" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 12: 4445. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124445
APA StyleMachul, M., Bieniak, M., Chałdaś-Majdańska, J., Bąk, J., Chrzan-Rodak, A., Mazurek, P., Pawłowski, P., Makuch-Kuśmierz, D., Obuchowska, A., Bartoszek, A., Karska, K., Jurek, K., Cardenas, C., & Dobrowolska, B. (2020). Lifestyle Practices, Satisfaction with Life and the Level of Perceived Stress of Polish and Foreign Medical Students Studying in Poland. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4445. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124445