Survey of Health Promoting Behaviours Among Undergraduate Students in a Private University in Ogun State

Health promoting behaviours encompass a range of practices including physical activity, balanced nutrition, stress management, adequate sleep, and avoidance of substance abuse, which collectively determine the health trajectory of young adults during the university period. This study surveys the prevalence of health promoting behaviours among undergraduate students at a private university in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among 380 students from six faculties using the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II questionnaire, adapted to the Nigerian university context. Six behavioural domains assessed include health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, interpersonal relations, spiritual growth, and stress management. Findings indicate that interpersonal relations and spiritual growth dimensions are strongest among respondents, while physical activity and nutrition scores are lowest. Only 32 percent of respondents meet recommended weekly physical activity guidelines, and daily fruit and vegetable consumption meeting recommended levels is reported by just 27 percent. Stress management practices are inadequate among 58 percent of students, with academic workload identified as the primary stressor. Private university students report higher rates of health promoting behaviours compared to national benchmarks for public university students, attributed to campus infrastructure and health services availability. Recommendations include developing a comprehensive campus health promotion programme, establishing peer health mentoring, and incorporating compulsory health promotion content into university general studies courses. Keywords: health promoting behaviours, undergraduate students, private university, Ogun State, lifestyle