Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Behaviors of Higher Education Students in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
; 19(24)2022 12 08.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36554322
ABSTRACT
Stressful events can significantly impact health behaviors of tertiary students in various ways. Many studies reported adverse alterations in health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is limited knowledge about students from sub-Saharan African countries. Therefore, this study aimed to assess effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health behaviors of Ghanaian tertiary students, with an emphasis on the association between sleep and other health behaviors. A cross-sectional study with eligible tertiary students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana (n = 129) was conducted. An online survey assessed quality and duration of sleep, financial stress, dietary risk, alcohol misuse, and physical exercise using validated tools. Health behaviors did not differ by gender. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected health behaviors for many students including dietary intake (20.2%), sleep quality (20.2%) and duration (81.4%), alcohol consumption (3.1%), exercise frequency (4.1%), and exercise intensity (38%). Shorter sleep duration was linked with greater alcohol misuse scores (p < 0.05). A majority of the students (56%) had increased financial stress during the pandemic. This study contributes important insights into the effects that stressful events such as a pandemic have on the health of higher education students in sub-Saharan Africa.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Alcoolismo
/
COVID-19
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Environ Res Public Health
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Gana