Abstract:

Many researchers worldwide report that health behaviours tend to be highly clustered, and can be addressed simultaneously. Yet, more remains unknown than known about how to optimize multiple preventive health behaviour change to mitigate health risks associated with noncommunicable diseases, which currently presents major public health concerns, and represents the greatest global health security threats in the future. There are emerging shifts in epidemiology of these chronic diseases, not only by gender, socio-economic status, disability, ethnicity, but most recently by age- albeit subject characteristics, as they are increasingly causing premature deaths. Nevertheless, the problem remains a neglected public health issue in Uganda, and at Makerere University in particular.

A cross-sectional sample of 381 undergraduate female students completed the self-administered questionnaire, whose results were subjected to binary logistic regression modeling to determine extents to which subject characteristics influenced adoption of preventive health behaviours.

Multivariate regression models suggest that course of study significantly (p=.013) influenced physician visits, with adjusted odds ratio of 0.32. Pentecostal (p=.018) and Anglican (p=.002) affiliations significantly influenced screening behaviour, with corresponding odd ratios of 0.37 and 0.34. Pentecostal (p= .021), like Science course (p=.030) significantly influenced physical activity, with corresponding odds ratios of 0.34 and 0.44. With respect to multiple preventive health behaviours, only course of study showed significant (p=.036) influence on adoption of all three desired behaviours, with adjusted odds ratio of 3.15.

The study contributes to body of knowledge on multiple health behavioral change and the healthy Universities concept. Future health promotions should consider issues around equitable access to essential information, and take advantage of religious places of worship and leaders to channel messaging.

Keywords: Noncommunicable diseases, subject characteristics, multiple preventive health behavior.

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