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SUMMARY
Introduction: Entering university frequently brings about considerable changes in the students' lifestyle, which often affect negatively their health. Therefore, it seems to be of great importance to promote pro-health habits and attitudes particularly among 1st-year-students and thus, it is necessary to accurately assess their lifestyles and needs in this regard.
Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the habits and attitudes towards healthy lifestyle of 762 first-year female students enrolled at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn so as to detect health risks and ultimately present the need for remedial measures.
Methods: Female students were randomly selected from all the groups attending obligatory physical education classes. The students filled in an anonymous questionnaire, which contained questions referring to their physical activity, nutrition, tobacco and alcohol use, and stress.
Results: The research demonstrated a worrisome picture of the students' habits and attitudes with regard to health. It showed that the female students took keener interest in daily body care than in proper nutrition and an adequate level of physical activity. What is also alarming is the excessive amount of alcohol they consumed on a regular basis.
Conclusions: The research findings call for a specially designed pro-health programme to be implemented during the time of the studies in order to raise the female students' awareness of leading a health-conscious lifestyle.
Key words: attitudes towards health, opinions and habits, university, female students, Poland
INTRODUCTION
The role and significance of the intelligentsia in the economic and social development of the country has been emphasized in a number of scientific studies. However, there are few papers exposing the role of the intelligentsia in promoting health culture by shaping the right attitudes towards the proper requirements of individual and public health care (1). In some countries including Poland, having a university degree is still relatively uncommon, and thus it is usually a mark of very high prestige in the immediate environment. Additionally, this social group breeds the highest number of political and administrative executives. Therefore, it can be rightly assumed that they will largely influence the scale of progress in the development of social needs and rational patterns of a healthy lifestyle. A stage through to meet these expectations is a period of study...