Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Research Center for Health Sciences and Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

2 Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus, Australia

3 Department of Public Health, School of Health, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj

Abstract

Background: Lifestyle choices and individuals’ behaviors have the potential to influence
health and improve the quality of life. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop
and psychometrically test an instrument for measuring healthy lifestyle in Iranian adolescents.
Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature review related to health‑promoting lifestyles
was used to identify potential scale items. Data were collected from 797 school students. Construct
validity was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was
used to cross‑validate. Results: Nine factors emerged that explained 59.8% of the variance in
the 43 items. Cronbach’s a coefficient Healthy Lifestyle Questionnaire was r=0.82. After the
model was modified, the fit indices indicated that the data were an adequate‑to‑good fit to the
proposed models. Conclusions: The current study provides some support to the internal and
external validity of the healthy lifestyles questionnaire for Iranian adolescents.

Keywords

1. Lyons R, Langille L. Healthy lifestyle: Strengthening the effectiveness
of lifestyle approaches to improve health. Edmunton (AB): Health
Canada. Available from: http://www.phac‑aspc.gc.ca/phsp//pdf/
lifestyle.pdf. [Last accessed on 2000].
2. Telama R. Tracking of physical activity from childhood to adulthood:
A review. Obes Facts 2009;2:187‑95.
3. Nader PR, Bradley RH, Houts RM, McRitchieSL, O’BrienM. Moderateto‑vigorous physical activity from ages 9 to 15 years. JAMA
2008;300:295‑305.
4. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of
Adolescent and School Health, Health Resources and Services
Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Office
of Adolescent Health. Executive Summary‑Improving the Health
of Adolescents and Young Adults: A Guide for States and
Communities. Atlanta, GA, 2004.
5. Massomi M, Shahesmaeil A, Mirzazadeh A, Tavakoli M, Ali AZ.
Opium addiction and severity of coronary arterydisease; a
case‑control study. J Res Med Sci 2010;15:27‑32.
6. Pourshahbaz A, Shamloo S, Jazayeri A. R., Ghazi Tabatabaei M.
Structural relations of psychological risk and protective factors of
drug abuse in adolescents. Social Welfare 2006;5:31‑54.
7. Mohammad K, Noorbala AA, Majd Zadeh SR, Karimlou M. Trend
of smoking prevalence in Iran (1991‑1999) based on two national
health surveys. Hakim J 2001;3:290‑4.
8. Azizi F, Mirmiran P, Azadbakht L. Predictors of cardiovascular risk
factors in Tehranian adolescents: Tehran lipid and glucose study.
Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2004;74:307‑12.
9. Kelishadi R, Alikhani S, Delavari A, Alaedini F, Safaie A, Hojatzadeh E.
Obesity and associated lifestyle behaviours in Iran: Findings
from the First National Non‑communicable Disease Risk Factor
Surveillance Survey. Public Health Nutr 2008;11:246‑51.
10. Ayatollahi SM, Mostajabi F. Prevalence of obesity among school
children in Iran. Obes Rev 2007;8:289‑91.
11. Taymoori P, Niknam SH, Berry T, Ghofranipour F, Kazemnejad A.
Application Stage of Change exercise behavior among Iranian
adolescents. East Mediterr Health J. 2009;15:785‑95.
12. Zamani‑Alavijeh F, Niknami S, Mohammadi E, Montazeri A,
Ghofranipour F, Ahmadi F, et al. Motorcyclists’ reactions to
safety helmet law: A qualitative study. BMC Public Health 2009;
9:393‑401.
13. Peden M, Scurfield R, Sleet D, Mathers C. World Report on Road
Traffic Injury Prevention. Available from: http://www.whqlibdoc.
who.int/publications/2004/9241562609.pdf. Geneva, Switzerland:
WHO Publications. [Last accessed on 2004].
14. World Health Organization: A strategy for health promotion in the
Eastern Mediterranean Region 2006‑2013. Cairo: WHO Regional
Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, 2008.
15. Chen MY, Yang RJ, Liou YM. Adolescent health promotion scale:
Development and psychometric testing. Public Health Nurs
2003;20:104‑10.
16. Gillis AJ. The Adolescent Lifestyle Questionnaire: Development and
psychometric testing. Can J Nurs Res 1997;29:29‑46.
17. Hendricks C, Murdaugh C, Pender N. The Adolescent Lifestyle
Profile: Development and psychometric characteristics. J Natl Black
Nurses Assoc 2006;17:1-5.
18. Pinar R, Celik R, Bahcecik N. Reliability and construct validity of the
Health‑Promoting Lifestyle Profile II in an adult Turkish population.
Nurs Res 2009;58:184‑93.
19. Walker SN, Sechrist KR, Pender NJ. The Health‑Promoting Lifestyle
Profile: Development and psychometric characteristics. Nurs Res
1987;36:76‑81.
20. Nunnally JC. Psychometric Theory. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw‑Hill;
1978.
21. Ferketich S. Focus on psychometrics: Aspects of item analysis. Res
Nurs Health 1991;14:165‑8.
22. Bollen KA. Structural equations with latent variables. New York:
John Wiley and Sons; 1989.
23. Hu L, Bentler PM. Cutoff criteria for fit indices in covariance structure
analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Struct Equ
Modeling 1999;6:1‑55.
24. Bollen KA, Stine RA. Bootstrapping goodness of fit measures in
structural equation models. Sociol Methods Res 1992;21:205‑29.
25. Pender NJ, Murdaugh C, Parsons M. A Health Promotion in Nursing
Practice. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Health Inc;
2002.