Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the stress level and health-related behaviors of nurses and to provide basic information for developing educational programs in the health care field. The subjects of this study were 197 nurses and 94 nursing assistants working at hospitals in the Kyung-nam area. A survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire in November, 2002. The results were as follows : The average age and work experience of the subjects were 26.9 and 5.6 years, respectively. The number of respondents in the shift and non-shift operations was equally distributed. The mean height and weight were 161.2 cm and 52.7 kg, respectively. Even though the average body mass index (BMI) and obesity index were normal in the subjects, 9.2% of the subjects were overweight/obese, while 28.9% of the subjects were under weight, according to the obesity index. The mean score of stress was 27.5 +/- 4.6 out of 50 points. Most of the subjects were highly stressed about the amount of their work, problems regarding their future, and relationships with their superiors. With regard to changes in food intake due to stress, 44.1% showed an increased intake, while 32.3% showed a reduced intake. The degree of health consciousness of the married nurses, those over 36 years of age, and those with over 10 years of nursing experience was significantly higher than that of the unmarried nurses, those under 35 years of age, and those with under 10 years of nursing experience (p < 0.01). Fifty-one point three percent of the subjects thought their health status was unhealthy. Fifty-seven percent of the subjects had tried weight control. Their main reason for trying weight control was to have a slender figure (62.3%), and their methods of weight control were moderation in intake (45.6%), exercise and dieting (36.9%). TV/radio (49.5%) and newspaper/magazines (47.1%) were the primary sources of nutritional and health information for the subjects, and professional (25.1%) and the internet (13.4%) were ranked relatively highly. The food components of most concern to the subjects during meal time were (in order of importance) fats (51.9%), calories (40.2%) and salt (35.1%). The subjects considered 'taking a rest' (73.5%) as the most important factor in maintaining an optimal health status, followed by self-relaxation (56.4%), moderation in diet (39.5), bathing or using a sauna (25.7%) and exercising (22.7%).

• Keywords: nurse; stress; health consciousness