Healthy Lifestyle for Clients Attending to Primary Health Care Centers in Erbil City

Abstract

Background: Healthy lifestyle is the responsibility of person to choice and making smart health through good nutrition, daily exercise, adequate sleep, avoid tobacco smoking and drinking alcohol and engage with family members and friends.
Aim of study: is to identify the lifestyle for clients attending to primary health care centers in Erbil

Methods: descriptive study conducted in Erbil City through the period of July 17, 2014- January to 11, 2015. A convenience method of sample was recruit 248 client age 15 and above without chronic diseases who were attended to primary health care centers during study period for purpose either treatment minor illness or vaccination coverage program for their children. Questionnaire designed by researchers and used to collect data by interview. Chi square test of association (or Fisher's test) was used to compare proportions. A p- value of ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results: study found that the unhealthy behavior among study sample were: smoker 27.0%, did not practicing physical activities 64.9%, watch TV more than seven hours 70.2%, eat food high in fat 40.7% and there significantly association between age and smoker (P<0.0001), age and number of hours sleeping (P<0.0001), age and going to bed early (P<0.0001), and there was significantly association between r physical activities and gender (P=0.021).

Conclusion: there was proportion of unhealthy lifestyle among sample of study such as watch TV more than seven hours, did not practicing physical activities eating fatty foods, there was significantly association between age and smoking, age and practicing physical activities, and association between gender and practicing physical activities.

Recommendation: study recommended for health policy in governorate to encourage health lifestyle among people through mass media and open more sports club for physical activities.