Health-Promoting Lifestyle Practices Of Rural Women In Osun State , Southwest , Nigeria

Objectives: Global attentions to health behaviour and lifestyles that place emphasis on quality of life are the focal point for health promotion research. This study assessed the health promoting lifestyle of the rural women and factors that influences it, with a view to providing guidelines for the development of programmes that support rural women’s health behaviour. Study Design: Descriptive cross sectional design was used for the study. Methods: Multi-stage sampling technique was employed to drawn 426 women from three communities in Osun State Nigeria. Data were collected using a questionnaire and focus group discussion guide. Results: The study revealed high level of poverty among women in rural communities in the state. The health promoting lifestyles frequently practiced by the women were Spiritual Value/Belief (Mean = 3.27 SD 0.52) followed by Nutrition (Mean = 3.16±0.37), while the least practiced were Health Responsibility (Mean = 2.08 SD 0.60) and Physical Activity (Mean = 2.12 SD 0.87). None of the subscales of Health Promoting Lifestyles were practiced adequately to a level that can drive the control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). There is significant relationship between health promoting lifestyle and location at 0.05 significant level with Wilks Lambda value = 0.89, F = 3.24 and P = 0.00. Also all the three parameters used to assessed the socioeconomic status and health promoting lifestyles are significant at 0.05 significant level with Wilks Lambda value = 0.91, F = 1.72 and P = 0.02 for educational level; Wilks Lambda value = 0.89, F = 1.61 and P = 0.02 for occupation and Wilks Lambda value for average monthly income = 0.57, F = 1.32 and P = 0.01 Conclusion: Rural women had no information, guidance and do not consciously engage in health promoting lifestyle but are willing to adopt appropriate health behaviour if they had adequate information. Key points: health promoting lifestyle, rural community, rural women, socio-economic status.