Health Behaviours and Their Determinants among Physical Education and Pedagogy Students as well as School Teachers – a Comparison Study

The aim of this study is to analyze social and individual determinants of health behaviour. The following factors are evaluated: nutrition, physical activity (PA) and smoking behaviour. The examined determinants of health behavior include: health-specific self-efficacy and health locus of control. Material and Methods: The survey was carried out among 298 students at state and private universities in Poznań and 342 teachers in primary and secondary schools in the Wielkopolska Province in Poland. The author’s questionnaire was used to assess nutrition and smoking status and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) served to evaluate PA. The health related self-efficacy questionnaires and Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHCL) were employed. Results and Conclusion: Health oriented physical education studies favour a more healthy lifestyle both during the studies and employment. The worst health behaviour patterns have been found among pedagogy students. The issue of healthy life style should be given more prominence in the curriculum at the undergraduate level to better develop health-sensitive personality in future teachers.