[Analisys of changes of risky behaviors among students from south-eastern Poland. Long-term prospective study]

The aim of this study was a comparative evaluation of the dynamics of change during selected behavior patterns related to students health.

The study covered a total of 1.496 students from University of Rzeszów and Rzeszów University of Technology, studying following disciplines: medical, humanities and exact sciences. The study was performed by using a diagnostic survey questionnaire technique. The study used a statistical test of independence chi-square. It was conducted from October to December 2009. Afterwards the study was repeated in 2012 in the same group of students. The percentage of students who were in class on the day of the study reached 59.1% of the assumed research sample.

The research found that in 2009 and 2012, in the scope of selected unhealthy behavior, the respondents did not differ in the level of statistical significance in any of following categories: drinking alcohol (p=0.4951); drug usage (p=0.2968); tobacco smoking (p=0.6053) and usage of psychoactive substances (p=0.6581). Students used the drugs occasionally, mostly at social events in order to achieve pleasure. If it comes to sex of respondents who presented risky behaviors men occurred more often (5.3% [2009] vs. 2.2% [2012]). University students derived from municipal areas had frequent contact with drugs (14.2% vs. 8.0%). Students of non-medical fields consumed alcohol more often than the ones from medical fields of studies (11.7%, 7.9%). Repeated study shows in this category increase towards medical studies (23.2% vs. 8.9%). The same study (2012) indicates statistical differences between field of study and smoking (p = 0.0064) in reference to students of medical sciences (respectively 38.2% and 27.5%).

This work showed that the stabilization prevalence of risky behaviors considerina students. may be the result of positive changes and prevention pro. grams aimed at children and teenagers, constantly put on the national and regional level.