Kontakt 2025, 27(1/2025):42-46 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2024.059

Health as a value in the context of smoking and alcohol consumption among university studentsSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Katalin Julianna Dinnyés^{1, 2, *}, Henriette Pusztafalvi³

¹ University of Szeged, Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Studies, Szeged, Hungary

² University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pécs, Hungary

³ University of Pécs, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Pécs, Hungary

Introduction: The study of smoking and alcohol consumption habits is one of the most relevant and common elements of health behaviour assessment. According to European Health Interview Survey data, 27% of women aged 18-34 years and 35% of men smoke daily. According to the WHO, alcohol consumption also presents a negative picture and is responsible for 3 million deaths worldwide each year.

Objective: Our primary objective was to examine how university students' health values relate to smoking and alcohol consumption habits.

Methods: Our data collection method was interviewing, and our questionnaire consisted of nearly 30 questions that could be divided into several main groups. For data collection, we used a validated questionnaire, the IRVS Values Importance and Achievement Scale. For the assessment of smoking habits, we used the questionnaire from the National Population Survey (2003), compiled by the National Center for Epidemiology. A total of 380 university students completed the questionnaire. Data were processed using SPSS 26.0 statistical software. Differences were considered significant at p < 0.05.

Results: Using principal component analysis, we obtained the eight-item variable, 'Importance of health value', with the highest loading of the value 'Health importance' (0.711 points). Our results showed a significant negative association between the health value and the number of cigarettes smoked per day, rs = -0.089, p = 0.041 (1-tailed), using Spearman correlation.

Conclusion: Promoting a healthier lifestyle among university-aged individuals should be encouraged and prioritized. We believe that it is important to develop a preventive approach and create an inclusive educational environment.

Keywords: Alcohol; Health behaviour; IRVS; Smoking; University students; Value list

Grants and funding:

This output was created as part of the National Research, Development and Innovation Office 2024/2025 academic year University of Pécs "Egyetemi Kutatói Ösztöndíj Program".

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Received: June 10, 2024; Revised: October 2, 2024; Accepted: December 12, 2024; Prepublished online: December 17, 2024; Published: February 27, 2025  Show citation