Identification of Healthy Lifestyle for Preconception Period among High School Females at Al-Amara City

Abstract

Objective: To assess of healthy lifestyle and to find out the association between healthy lifestyle and socio-demographic characteristics among high school students.

Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted in (3) November 2015 to (9) May 2016 in the City of Al-Amara. A simple random sampling used to select 8 out of 17 high schools. A systematic random sampling was used to draw a sample (n =214) out of 2192 high schools females. The data was collected by interview method through the use of constructed questionnaires, which consist of two parts. Part one socio-demographic characteristic and part two which consist of 6 domains including: nutrition, physical activity, weight control, taking of vaccinations, stress management, and avoids infection with toxoplasmosis. The data analyzed through the use of the descriptive by Frequency, Percentage, Mean of Score and Standard deviation and inferential statistical analysis through Correlation Coefficient.

Results: The mean score of health lifestyle for preconception period among of the females it was moderate (2.25 ± 0.378) with the majority sample 131 (61.2%) in moderate level. Moreover, highly a significant associations were found between socio-demographic characteristics and aspects of preconception healthy lifestyle at (P< 0.01), except the some variables which showed non-significant association with aspects of preconception healthy lifestyle at (P: 0.05).

Conclusion: Female students considered at higher risk of developing unhealthy behaviors. Findings of the study showed more than two thirds of sample with in moderate level of health lifestyle. Furthermore, the results indicate that there was highly a significant association between some variables, except the age, type of family, father survival and job of father showed were non-significant association.

Recommendation: Schoolteachers and health service providers must be cooperation for spreading health behavior among students that these phase is important and called safe motherhood, by lay scientific posters, and holding parents meeting in order to illustrate the importance healthy lifestyle during the period of preconception Such as exercise constantly, weight control, eating fat-free healthy food to reduce life-threatening adverse outcomes of preconception.