Developing a Scale to Assess Daily Health Behaviors and Perceptions among Junior High School Students

Abstract

Background: Junior high school students are currently living in rapidly changing social and living environments and have diversified interests. Classes that encourage their intellectual curiosity are therefore needed. Junior high school is a fundamental period as students acquire healthy behaviors that may last a lifetime. However, challenges remain as these students typically do not fully apply their health education learnings to their daily lives.

Objective: The objective of this study is to design a scale that evaluates junior high school students’ health behaviors and their perceptions thereof, and to clarify the relationships between junior high school students’ health behaviors, perceptions thereof, daily life habits, and psychosocial factors.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey, the Questionnaire on the Everyday Health Behaviors and Perceptions of Junior High School Students (Q-EHBP-JHSS), was conducted on 645 students from three junior high schools. To test the questionnaire’s reliability and validity, factor validity, internal consistency, stability, and criterion-related validity were evaluated. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was also performed to understand the overall structure of the relationships between the Q-EHBP-JHSS and the Diagnostic Inventory of Health and Life Habits (DIHAL.2), Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale (RSES), and the Children’s Health Locus of Control Scale (CHLCS).

Results: There were 486 valid questionnaires from the 574 questionnaires received (89%). The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed a total of 48 items under eight factors of the Q-EHBP-JHSS. The SEM of the Q-EHBP-JHSS, DIHAL.2, RSES, and CHLCS revealed that of the eight Q-EHBP-JHSS factors, exercise, appropriate behaviors, setting times, and mobile phone use affected daily exercise, diet, and rest habits the most. These four factors were also correlated with one another. Stress avoidance/prevention was associated with students’ degree of health and internal and external health locus of control, while sleep fulfillment was associated with physical and social health. Sleep regularity was associated with the external health locus of control. Exercise behavior/environment was associated with physical and social health, while physical and mental health was associated with self-esteem. Exercise consciousness affected the internal health locus of control.

Conclusion: The reliability and validity of the Q-EHBP-JHSS were confirmed. The results of SEM revealed that factors such as exercise, appropriate behaviors, setting times, and mobile phone use can be used as course content for health education that increases students’ intellectual interest. Further, these results can contribute to the development of courses that support junior high school students’ implementation and continuation of appropriate health behaviors.