Association of Depression of College Students with Their Personal Health Beliefs and Behaviors

Abstract

Purpose: Depressive disorders are commonly observed in adolescents. Earlier recognition and management of depression were proven effective in reducing incidents of depressive disorder. Based on the assumption that belief is the basis of health behavior, this study is to investigate the association of depression with personal health beliefs and health behaviors of college students, the differences in personal health belief and behaviors between depressive and non-depressive college students, and the predictability of depression tendency of college students based on personal health belief and behaviors. Methods: 516 students from two colleges in northern Taiwan were pre-selected for evaluation using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) short form, personal health behaviors scale, and health belief scale. A non-depressed group and a depressed group consists of 182 and 170 students were formed based on the total BDI score. Results: The differences in health beliefs between the non-depressed and depressed groups were most significant in four factors of passive belief: "health is uncontrollable", "other things are more important than health", and "health is controlled by other factors" and less agreement: "maintaining health requires assistance with medical professionals". The depressed subjects are more likely to commit to excessive drink, slimming, or dieting than their non-depressed counterparts, and they are less likely to sleep for 7 to 9 hours or have breakfast on a regular basis. About 75.4 percent of depressed subjects could be correctly detected based on variables of health issues including perceived life is not satisfactory, infrequent health behaviors and two health beliefs health is uncontrollable and other things are more important than health. Conclusions: The results from this study suggest that depressed subjects were likely to have negative health beliefs, subjective dissatisfaction in life, less beneficial health behaviors, and more compromising health behaviors. Their disbelief in assistance by medical professionals for maintaining health further prevents them from carrying out beneficial health behaviors. Researchers in disciplines of health psychology and behavior medicine have advocated the interaction of body and psyche, claiming improving health-related behaviors could create more positive emotionality to reduce depression. Campus healthcare providers could consider formulating health behavior programs for adolescents to promote physical health and alleviate depressive mood.

研究目的：憂鬱問題對青年族群有一定的影響比例，而在強調預防勝於治療之際，早期發現或是早期建立更佳的預防措施，都能減少憂鬱問題的發生。最近學者朝向行為醫學從健康行為著手，看其對憂鬱情緒的改善，而健康信念是決定健康行為的重要因素，因此，本研究的目的有二：1.瞭解憂鬱與非憂鬱之大學生在健康信念、健康行為上的差異；2.瞭解主觀健康、健康信念、健康行為在區分憂鬱與非憂鬱之大學生的預測性。研究方法：本研究立意取樣選取北部兩所大學516位大學生，再依據個人在短式貝克憂鬱量表得分低於三分者為非憂鬱組182位，高於九分者為憂鬱組170位。邀請參與者填寫三項量表：短式貝克憂鬱量表、個人健康行為調查、健康信念量表。研究結果：發現1.憂鬱組與非憂鬱組在健康信念「健康是我無法掌控的」、「其他事比健康重要」與「健康是他控的」等消極性健康信念分數上憂鬱組顯著高於非憂鬱組，而「健康需靠醫療專業協助」則是非憂鬱組顯著高於憂鬱組。在實行各類健康行為方面，憂鬱組較非憂鬱組傾向飲酒行為、瘦身及節食，而憂鬱組較少實行睡眠時間固定7至9小時，規律吃早餐。2.再以憂鬱及非憂鬱兩組為被區分變項，發現生活越不滿意、健康行為越少、認為健康是不可控制的及其他事比健康重要四項因素共同區辨兩組的正確機率為75.4%。研究結論：發現憂鬱組大學生確實有較負向及消極的健康信念及不滿意的主觀生活感受及較少的良好健康行為，較多危害健康的行為之特徵，加上他們又不主張健康也需要醫療照護，使得更不傾向從事良好健康行為及習慣，以保持自身健康幸福。從行為醫學與健康心理學強調身心一元論的角度可知，校園健康照護者可以在可能有憂鬱危險群之個案施行一套健康行動計畫，未來也可以進行研究來瞭解執行健康計畫對改善憂鬱情緒之效果。