Health-promoting behaviours in conservatoire students

Abstract

This study focuses on health-promoting behaviours in students from two conservatoires, the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM, Manchester, UK; n =199) and the Royal College of Music (RCM, London, UK; n = 74). The research questions concern (a) the levels and types of health-promoting behaviours among performance students and (b) the association of health-promoting behaviours with emotional state, perceived general self-regulation and self-efficacy. To address these questions, the students were surveyed using server-based inventories over the internet. Results revealed varying levels of adherence to individual aspects of health-promoting behaviours. No significant differences between the populations of the two conservatoires with respect to health-promoting behaviours were observed. In general, values for health responsibility, physical activity and stress management were lower than values for nutrition, interpersonal relations and spiritual growth. Significant correlations were found between all subscales of health-promoting behaviours, emotional state, self-efficacy and self-regulation. These results suggest that music performance students tend to focus more strongly on psychosocial than physical aspects of health while particularly neglecting health responsibility. It is also concluded that health-promoting behaviours are weakly and differentially associated with both positive and negative emotional states, as well as with perceived self-efficacy and self-regulation.