Examining gender differences in the health behaviors of Canadian university students

Abstract

The relationship between lifestyle choices and health outcomes has been an area of interest for many health professionals. Gender differences in these choices have also been an area of scrutiny. Aims: The purpose of the present investigation was to examine gender differences in the health and lifestyle behavioral choices of Canadian university students. Methods: A total of 638 (472 female and 166 male) undergraduate students were evaluated. Results: Males and females differed significantly in their responses to appraisals of general state of health, hours/day engaged in social activities, frequency of drinking alcohol, amount of alcohol consumed per session, total number of sexual partners, number of meals eaten per day, participation in physical activity, completion of annual check-ups with doctor, screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and hypertension screening. Generally, men engaged in more risky health behaviors than females (e.g. alcohol use). Conclsion: Results are discussed in terms of cultural comparisons to previous research studies evaluating college health behaviors. Suggestions are made for health professionals to incorporate gender differences in behavioral change programmes geared towards improving awareness of the consequences of lifestyle choices.