Turkish University Students' Social Support, Daily Activities, Self-Supportive and Health Risk Behaviors During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The present study investigated the relationship between social support, self-supportive behaviors, health risk behaviors, and daily activities of Turkish university students during the first wave of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. We aimed to reveal how an unexpected global crisis may affect the association between social indicators and health risk behaviors among university students. As part of a large international study, a total of 7,125 university students (71% female) with a mean age of 23.50 (SD = 6.08) from eight universities in Türkiye responded to an online survey during May 2020. Having a romantic relationship and significant other made a difference in students' health risk behaviors and daily activity indicators before and during the pandemic. Self-supportive behaviors and social contact predicted health risk behaviors and daily activity indicators, which differed according to residence location during the pandemic. Findings showed that Turkish university students' health risk behaviors and daily activity choices were influenced not only by the limitations of the pandemic but also individual behaviors and conditions as well as social relationships.