DIGITAL HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND THEIR ASSOCIATIONS WITH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG STUDENTS AT THAILAND NATIONAL SPORTS UNIVERSITY, ANG THONG CAMPUS
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Abstract
Digital technology plays an important role in shaping students’ health behaviors, affecting both physical and mental health, particularly in sports universities where contextual factors may influence patterns of health technology use.
Purpose
To examine digital health behaviors and analyze their relationship with physical and mental health among students at Thailand National Sports University, Ang Thong Campus.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 206 undergraduate students (years 2-4), selected using stratified sampling by faculty followed by simple random sampling. Data were collected via an online questionnaire developed by the researchers. The instrument demonstrated high content validity (IOC=0.94) and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha=0.85). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, with significance set at .01.
Results
Overall digital health behavior was at a moderate level (3.00±1.10). The most frequent behavior was seeking health information via digital media (3.60±1.10), while the use of technology for nutrition was infrequent (2.50±1.10). Health technology showed positive effects on physical health, particularly in promoting regular exercise (3.60±1.10), whereas its effects on mental health were mostly uncertain. A low but significant positive correlation was found between digital health behavior and health outcomes (r=.23, p<.01).
Conclusions
Digital health behavior among students was moderate (four to six times per week) and not comprehensive across all health dimensions, with greater emphasis on information seeking and physical activity. A low positive association with physical and mental health was observed, suggesting that technology use alone may be insufficient to improve well-being. Promoting balanced use of health technologies alongside enhancing digital health literacy is essential for sustainable health behavior change in sports higher education contexts.
Article Details
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