Abstract
Background: Chiropractic students are well-positioned to play a significant role as advocates for living a healthy lifestyle. Their education provides a solid foundation on which they should build healthy habits. They must not only comprehend the fundamentals of a healthy lifestyle but also employ them in their own lives. Concerns have been expressed about how well chiropractic students translate health-related concepts they learn into practice.
Aim: With a focus on lifestyle decisions and perceived knowledge of healthy living, this study sought to assess the health-related behaviours of chiropractic students. A secondary aim was to explore potential implications of these behaviours for their future careers as healthcare providers.
Methods: A cross-sectional, online and anonymous survey was administered to all the chiropractic students at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), utilizing a validated instrument that assessed various aspects of their health behaviours. This survey was distributed via the Google Forms platform and consisted of 27 questions. It took about 10 minutes to complete. The study’s population consisted out of 255 chiropractic students. Participants in this study had access to the survey from April 12, 2024 to April 26, 2024. With respect to permission, authorization was acquired to carry out the study at the University of Johannesburg's Department of Chiropractic. Permission was specifically granted by the University of Johannesburg's Dean of Health Sciences. The original survey instrument was also obtained with permission from the original authors. These authorizations guaranteed that the research was carried out in accordance with institutional policies and ethics.
Results: This study yielded a response rate of 47% (n=122). In this study sample, 77% (n=94) were female and 23% (n=28) were male. The survey results revealed that the majority of chiropractic students had a normal Body Mass Index (BMI). There were 73% falling within this “normal” range. A notable portion (18%) were considered to be overweight, and 1% were classified as obese. With respect to physical activity, over half of the students engaged in both endurance and resistance exercises 1 to 3 times per week. Dietary habits revealed that 82.8% (n=101) of students did not adhere to a particular diet, and that 58% of them drank alcohol, with 80.2% of them doing so at least once a week. Only 23% of respondents smoked. Those who did so mostly vaped. Most of them assessed their own health knowledge as good or very good (37.7% and 36.9%, respectively).
Conclusion: According to the findings, there may not have been enough emphasis on healthy lifestyle choices among chiropractic students in the existing educational system. This could have an effect on how well-suited they are to practice as future medical professionals. A positive feedback loop that encouraged more health-conscious behaviors was noted. Certain students who had initially employed healthy lifestyle choices were more likely to make other advantageous lifestyle choices. They could have developed an even greater positive attitude regarding their health. This could, therefore, have encouraged them to maintain these advantageous practices over time, which in turn strengthened their confidence in the value of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Key terms: Chiropractic, students, lifestyle choices, non-communicable diseases, health behaviours