Selected aspects of secondary school teachers' healthful behaviour

Bibliogr. s. 218

Health is a crucial value in human life. It is dependent on numerous factors and, in great measure, on preferred healthful behaviour. Healthful behaviour increases the health potential, protects from threats and restores individuals to health. Teachers should shape healthful attitudes and behaviour and acquire knowledge about health. Such activities may contribute to the fact that students will be able to take decisions to have a healthful lifestyle, essential for retaining and improving their own and other people's health. To examine secondary school teaches' healthful behaviour. The survey was conducted in 2010 among 88 teachers working at two secondary schools in Nowy Sącz. Diagnostic survey method was used, the tool being an original questionnaire. The outcome of the survey was subject to statistical analysis with the use of Statistica 8.0 computer program, applying test and Mann-Whitney test. Nearly half of the respondents (48.86%) discern the need to change healthful behaviour in their lifestyles, but only 19.32% have taken action to do it. No significant correlation has been found between taking action to change one's lifestyle and respondent' gender (p = 0.1139) and age (p = 0.1576). The majority of the teachers (55.68%) discern the need to supplement their knowledge regarding healthful behaviour. No significant correlation has been found (p = 0.0995) between the need to supplement healthful behaviour knowledge and the respondents' gender. Nearly all surveyed teachers think that they can be role models for students through their own healthful behaviour. Surveyed teachers are aware that their healthful behaviour should be changed, especially as far as their dietary habits, using substances and physical activity, because they perceive themselves as role models for students in this respect.