Health behaviors and quality of life among young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the life quality and young adults' health behaviors. Aim Assessment of health behaviors and life quality in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material and methods: The study was conducted in a group of 161 people aged 18-25 years. The study employed a diagnostic survey method using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire in the Polish version and the Health Behavior Inventory, as well as a self-designed questionnaire.

Results: The average value of the total health behavior intensity index in the examined group was 75.83 ± 13.9. The average scores obtained in each domain were similar, with the highest score referring to under-taking health practices (3.31 ± 0.68) and the lowest referring to proper eating habits (2.95 ± 0.81). Only 11.80% of respondents presented a high level of health behaviors. The average score for overall quality of life was 3.87 ± 0.81 points, with the physical domain scoring most favorably (15.18 ± 2.65 points) and the psychological domain scoring the lowest (13.45 ± 3.48 points). There was a significant positive correlation between respondents' health behaviors and their quality of life (r =0.288; p <0.001). Respondents indicated that the pandemic negatively affected their quality of life in the psychological (63.98%), social (60.25%) and environmental (45.34%) domains.

Conclusions: Nearly half of the respondents reported low intensity of health behaviors. Their quality of life was good. The physical domain scored highest and the mental domain scored lowest, which was also reflected in the highest score for the adverse impact of the pandemic on the quality of life in the same domain.