The Effects of School Life Stress, Smartphone Overdependence, and Interpersonal Competency on Health Promotion Behavior among specialized High School Students

Objectives The purpose is to determine the level of school life stress, smartphone overdependence, interpersonal competency, and health-promoting behavior among students at specialized high schools and to identify factors affecting health-promoting behavior to provide basic data for student education. Methods This is a descriptive research study targeting 305 students attending three specialized high schools located in G Metropolitan City from October 4 to October 14, 2023, on school life stress, smartphone overdependence, interpersonal skills, and health. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire on promotion behaviors. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Results Health promotion behaviors were significantly different from daily smartphone use time, exercise habits, and grades, and health promotion behaviors were found to have a significant positive correlation with interpersonal skills. Factors affecting health promotion behavior include interpersonal skills (β=.34, p<.001), usual exercise habits (daily) (β=.28, p<.001), and usual exercise habits (more than 3 times a week). ) (β=.19, p<.001), usual exercise habits (1 to 2 times a week) (β=.19, p<.001), smartphone use time (less than 2 hours) (β=.18, p<.001), and the explanatory power of these variables for health promotion behavior was 27.0% (F=22.88, p<.001). Conclusions In order to promote health-promoting behavior among students in specialized high schools, the development of interpersonal competencies that takes students' developmental stages into account must be developed in parallel. In addition, specific strategies are required for an educational environment in which regular exercise habits can be implemented and an educational plan that can moderate smartphone use.