UNIVERSITE ANTONINE-BAABDA

FACULTY OF PUBLIC HEALTH

PHYSICAL THERAPY DEPARTMENT

Topic Proposal
Final Project
Research Methods 1

Submitted by:
First Name & Last Name of the Student (…. Year Student)
ID of the Student

Submitted to:
Dr Veronica EL KASSIS

Baabda, 03 May 2022

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 1. Introduction

Health promotion has been incorporated into the practice guidelines for many health care

professions (Healey et al., 2012). According to The American Physical Therapy Association

(APTA) physical therapists have a role in health promotion and there is evidence that Physical

Therapists (PTs) are beginning to incorporate it into their patient management programs (Black et

al. 2012).

Health professionals, are more likely to engage in health promotion if they believe they have

sufficient knowledge, skills, time, environmental support, and income, and are more likely to

recommend behaviors that they themselves practice (Black et al. 2012).

Physical Therapists should be role models in this field starting from the PT students. Unhealthy

practices and behaviors at a young stage of life will continue into adulthood and it is far more

difficult for adults to change unhealthy habits adapted in their youth (Nualnetr & Thanawat, 2012).

A study conducted by Lee & Yuen Loke in 2005 among University Students in Hong Kong found

that health is highly valued and the majority are aware of the importance of health-promoting

behaviors, however, they have limited sense of health responsibility and only a small number of

students took part in health-promoting behaviors (such as regular exercise and good nutritional

habits). Another study conducted in Turkey, showed that older students have higher levels of

overall lifestyles promoting behaviors than younger (Hacıhasanog˘lu et al., 2011).

However, limited research has been published regarding the personal health behaviors of physical

therapy students in Lebanon and were more focused on non-PT students in general (Sabbah et al.,

2017).

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Therefore, it is expected that the results of this study would provide information to University

Administrators, Lebanese Order of Physical Therapists (LOPT), Physical Therapists, Physical

Therapy Students and Public Health Professionals which could be used to help young people to

adopt healthy lifestyles and create good role models for people to follow.

The objective of this cross-sectional study is to describe the health-promoting behaviors of

Physical Therapy Students of the Private Universities in Lebanon and compare the behaviors

among students in different years of study.

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 2. Methods
2.1. Study Design:
A descriptive cross-sectional study will be conducted
2.2. Participants:
2.2.1. Target Population:
Physical therapy students of all the 8 private universities (Université Antonine-
Baabda, Université Antonine- Nabi Ayla Zahlé, Université Antonine -Mejdlaya
Zgharta, Université Sainte Famille-Batroun, Lebanese German University,
Université la Sagesse, Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth, Islamic University and
Beirut Arab University) in Lebanon.
2.2.2. Inclusion Criteria:
Physical therapy students enrolled in the spring semester of one of these private
universities, aged between 18 and 25 years old, and can read and write in English.
2.2.3. Exclusion Criteria:
First year physical therapy students whom the spring semester is their first semester,
if they hold another bachelor degree or doing in parallel another major and if they are
in an exam period or suffering from any chronic medical diagnosis (to avoid the
confounding effect of stress).
2.3.Data Collection Methods & Protocol:
2.3.1. Variables Evaluated:
Variable 1: Health-Promoting Behaviors
Conceptual Definition of this Variable:
Health-promoting behavior is an expression of the human actualizing
tendency that is directed toward optimal well-being, personal fulfillment,
and productive living. It is an essential part of an individual's lifestyle and an
important factor in maintaining a healthy life.

Variable 2: Years of Study

Conceptual Definition of this Variable:
The physical therapy bachelor degree program is a 4 years program…

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2.3.2. Protocol:
An online-based questionnaire will be administered to the students of the above-
mentioned private universities.
2.3.3. Study Instrument:
The questionnaire will be consisted of two parts:
2.3.3.1. Socio-Demographic Questions:
Including academic level, age, gender, marital status, nationality, year of study,
name of the university, work status, parents’ marital status, deceased parents,
monthly family income, Grade Point Average (GPA), smoking and alcohol
status, and other questions designed specifically for this research study. Weight
and height were also acquired to assess each student’s Body Mass Index (BMI)
using the equation of body weight divided by the square of the student’s height
(kg/m2).
2.3.3.2. The Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II) Questionnaire:
2.3.3.2.1. Scoring Technique:
This questionnaire consists of 52 health-promoting behavior items that
are categorized into six subscales: health responsibility (nine items),
spiritual growth (nine items), physical activity (eight items),
interpersonal relationships (nine items), nutrition (nine items), and
stress management (eight items).
A Likert-type scale is used to measure each behavior, with ranges of
never (1), sometimes (2), frequently (3), and regularly (4).
2.3.3.2.2. Interpretation:
The total score of the HPLP II ranges from 52 to 208 and is measured
by the mean score of the responses to all 52 HPLP items.
The total HPLP II score is further classified into four levels: poor for
the range 52–90, moderate for the range 91–129, good for the range
130–168, and excellent for the range 169–208.
High scores in every subscale mean more frequent health-promoting
behaviors.

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2.3.3.2.3. Validity & Reliability:
The HPLP II was administered in the English language and has been
demonstrated in previous studies as valid (H Alzahrani et al., 2019).
The overall scale of the original version of the HPLP II reported a
Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.94, and for the six subscales, it ranged from
0.79 to 0.87, which proves its high reliability (reference).

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 3. List of References

Hacıhasanog˘lu, R., Yıldırım, A., Karakurt, P., & Sag˘lam, R. (2011). Healthy lifestyle behaviour
in university students and influential factors in eastern Turkey. International Journal of Nursing
Practice, 17, 43–51.

Fashafshes, I., Al-Ghabeesh, S. H., Ayed, A. & Batran, A. (2021). Health-Promoting Behaviors
among Nursing Students: Palestinian Perspective. The Journal of Health Care Organization,
Provision, and Financing, 58, 1-5.

Black, B., Marcoux, B. C., Stiller, C., Qu, X., & Gellish, R. (2012). Personal health behaviors and
role-modeling attitudes of physical therapists and physical therapist students: a cross-sectional
study. Physical therapy, 92(11), 1419–1436.

Nualner, N., & Thanawat, T. (2012). Health-promoting Behaviors of Physical Therapy Students.
Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 24, 1003-1006.

Shaheen, A., Nassar, O., Amre, H., & Hamdan-Mansour, A. (2015). Factors Affecting Health-
Promoting Behaviors of University Students in Jordan. Scientific Research Publishing, 7, 1-8.

Lee, R. & Yuen Loke, A. (2005). Health-Promoting Behaviors and Psychosocial Well-Being of
University Students in Hong Kong. Public Health Nursing, 22, 209-220.

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4. Appendix

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