Analysis of Health Promoting Lifestyle and Associated Factors among Collegiate Aviation Pilots

Bill Deng Pan

Abstract

The schedule and expectations required of collegiate aviation flight students can make it difficult for them to practice a health-promoting lifestyle. There are currently many discussions in the aviation industry about pilots’ mental health, fatigue, and stress management. It is important to analyze these factors in a Part 141 collegiate environment, which for many pilots, is where they begin their pilot careers. A non-experimental survey methodology will be used to assess Part 141 collegiate aviation students’ health promoting lifestyle/behaviors across six areas: health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management. The research team will utilize the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II) to measure the participants’ level of health promoting lifestyle. Participants’ demographics to include flight experience and level of enrollment will also be also be collected as part of the survey. The results will be analyzed to determine relationships between the degree of healthy lifestyles of participants and influential factors such as level of enrollment and age. Additionally, each of the six domains will be analyzed through the average of numerical answers to specific questions to identify the effect of specific health factors on overall participant lifestyle. Results are expected to provide insights into the relationships and effects of the six HPLP II domains on collegiate pilots’ lifestyles. Findings of this study can provide the scientific foundation for institutional policies and educational practices to improve flight safety.

 

Analysis of Health Promoting Lifestyle and Associated Factors among Collegiate Aviation Pilots

The schedule and expectations required of collegiate aviation flight students can make it difficult for them to practice a health-promoting lifestyle. There are currently many discussions in the aviation industry about pilots’ mental health, fatigue, and stress management. It is important to analyze these factors in a Part 141 collegiate environment, which for many pilots, is where they begin their pilot careers. A non-experimental survey methodology will be used to assess Part 141 collegiate aviation students’ health promoting lifestyle/behaviors across six areas: health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management. The research team will utilize the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II) to measure the participants’ level of health promoting lifestyle. Participants’ demographics to include flight experience and level of enrollment will also be also be collected as part of the survey. The results will be analyzed to determine relationships between the degree of healthy lifestyles of participants and influential factors such as level of enrollment and age. Additionally, each of the six domains will be analyzed through the average of numerical answers to specific questions to identify the effect of specific health factors on overall participant lifestyle. Results are expected to provide insights into the relationships and effects of the six HPLP II domains on collegiate pilots’ lifestyles. Findings of this study can provide the scientific foundation for institutional policies and educational practices to improve flight safety.