Most chronic diseases originate in early life and young adulthood and can be qualified as lifestyle diseases. The health-promoting behaviors of young adults are critically linked to the health status they can expect to have as older adults.
Of the rapidly growing numbers of international students in the United States, Asian students comprise the largest proportion, with the majority of this group coming from China or Taiwan. This study aims to investigate the health-promoting behaviors and health needs of this specific group of international students. Even as they work to adjust to a foreign culture, society, and language, these students must also face the challenges of undertaking a new academic program. It is essential that they develop and practice health-promoting behaviors to promote and enhance their
well-being, as well as to prevent the risks of developing a chronic illness.
Perceived self-efficacy and social support are central predictors for adjustment to college and for health-promoting behaviors in college student populations. Although the influence of adjustment to college on students’ academic performance and psychological health has been demonstrated, little is known regarding the relationship between adjustment to college and health-promoting behaviors in Chinese/Taiwanese international students. Therefore, this study sought to examine the effects of perceived self-efficacy and social support on health-promoting behaviors in Chinese/Taiwanese international students as mediated by their adjustment to college.
A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational research design was used to test the study hypotheses. A convenience sample of 103 Chinese/Taiwanese students at a large public university in the Midwest completed questionnaires containing: the Generalized Self-efficacy Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, the
Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, and the Demographic Data Questionnaire. The study model was tested using Baron and Kenney’s procedures for mediation testing. The results from the study revealed that the effects of perceived self-efficacy and perceived social support on health-promoting behaviors were partially mediated through the level of adjustment to college. The mediator variable, adjustment to college, revealed a statistically significant ability to predict the students’ health-promoting behaviors
(Sobel = 3.0, p = 0.003; Sobel = 2.8, p = 0.005).
These findings suggest that the effects of self-efficacy and social support on health-promoting behaviors in Chinese/Taiwanese international students may be mediated through their adjustment to college. Further research on larger and more diverse samples of international students is needed. However, if supported by future studies, these findings suggest that international students’ level of adjustment to college plays a very important role in their health-promoting behaviors.