Healthy lifestyles and higher education: an analysis from Pender's theory

Introduction: The analysis of health promotion framed in Nola J. Pender's model showed that this approach conceived health as a dynamic process in which individuals assumed an active role in the construction of their wellbeing. In the case of university students, it was highlighted that the academic stage represented a decisive moment in the formation of healthy habits, since it allowed cementing behaviors that impacted their adult life. Development: Pender's model proposed that health behaviors were influenced by personal, social and environmental factors, including self-efficacy, perceived benefits and perceived barriers. This framework was relevant to understanding how youth coped with challenges such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, substance use, and inadequate sleep and stress management. It was also observed that the support of family, friends and the academic environment played a decisive role in the adoption of healthy practices. Universities, for their part, played a central role in implementing policies and programs that favored prevention, physical activity, balanced nutrition and education for self-care. Conclusions: It was concluded that health promotion in university students transcended simple disease prevention and was consolidated as a social and educational investment. Pender's model provided conceptual tools to design effective interventions that strengthened resilience, reduced risks and enhanced the construction of healthier academic communities.