Study on physical activity and healthy lifestyle behaviors of basic education department students

This study was conducted in order to analyze physical activity and healthy lifestyle behaviors of students studying at Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University, Faculty of Education, Department of Basic Education (primary school teaching and preschool teaching) in 2020-2021 academic year in terms of various demographic variables. This research is a quantitative research conducted with relational screening model. Population of the research consists of students studying at Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University, Department of Basic Education (primary school teaching and preschool teaching departments) in 2020-2021 academic year. And sample group of the research consists of 341 university students (236 female, 105 male students) determined by random sampling method considering maximum diversity in line with the purpose of the study. "Personal Information Form" prepared by the author, "International Physical Activity Questionnaire" developed by Craig et al. (2003)and adapted to Turkish by Öztürk (2005) and "Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale" developed by Walker, Sechrist, and Pender (1987) and adapted into Turkish by Esin (1997) were used in the research. Descriptive statistics (frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation); t-test, one way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Scheffe multiple comparison tests were used while evaluating the data as statistical methods. Chi-square analysis was used in order to test relationship between categorical variables. As a result of the research, it was concluded that scores of the participants in physical activity scale differed significantly in terms of variables of gender, department, knowledge about nutrition and sports. It was concluded that variables of year of study, age, place of residence, place of accommodation, type of food consumed, number of daily meals, knowledge about healthy life and physical activity and healthy eating idea that are other demographic characteristics did not differ significantly. It was seen that scores of the participants in healthy lifestyle behaviors scale differed significantly in the exercise sub-dimension of gender variable and there were no differences in other sub-dimensions. In age variable, it was determined that self-realization, health responsibility and nutrition sub-dimensions differed significantly and other sub-dimensions did not differed. It was determined that exercise sub-dimension which is one of the sub-dimensions of healthy lifestyle behaviors scale differed significantly according to variable of their department and the other dimensions did not differed. It was determined that scores of the participants for self-realization and health responsibility that are sub-dimensions of healthy lifestyle behaviors scale differed significantly according to place of accommodation variable and other sub-dimensions did not differ significantly. It was determined that all sub-dimensions of the healthy lifestyle behaviors scale differed significantly according to variable of the food consumed. It was determined that scores for nutrition and stress management that are sub-dimensions of healthy lifestyle behaviors scale differed significantly according to variable of daily number of meals and other sub-dimensions did not differ significantly. It was determined that scores for health responsibility, exercise and nutrition that are sub-dimensions of the healthy lifestyle behaviors scale differed significantly according to having knowledge about nutrition and sports and other sub-dimensions did not differ. It was determined that scores for interpersonal support dimension that is sub-dimension of the healthy lifestyle behaviors scale did not differ significantly according to the participants' knowledge about physical activity and healthy life and healthy eating idea and other sub-dimensions differed significantly. It was determined that healthy lifestyle behaviors scale scores of the participants did not differ significantly according to variables of year of education and place of residence. According to results of physical activity and healthy lifestyle behaviors scale scores, it was determined that health responsibility, stress management, nutrition and exercise sub-dimensions that are sub-dimensions of healthy lifestyle behaviors scale were in the very active category and they differed significantly, scores obtained from self-realization and interpersonal support sub-dimensions did not differ significantly according to the physical activity category.