School Principals' Perception of Changes in Their Health Behaviours During the Syndemic

Abstract

The article examines changes in the health behaviours of school principals in a syndemic situation, the synergy phenomenon of the global health crises, such as COVID-19, obesity, depression, and others. The authors study, how the syndemic affects changes in the care of school principals for their own physical, mental, and social health. These changes have been correlated with Health Belief Model (HBM) factors and health self-esteem. The research conducted in the group of 700 headmasters from the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship in Poland shows that changes in their health behaviours are diverse. Most of the respondents care more about hygiene, diet, and their physical condition. Passive changes, such as avoiding stimulants, prevail over changes creating new forms of activity. What is also noticeable is improvement in taking care of their mental health, especially maintaining a good mood. Although the analysis indicates that health motivation is high, it does not remove many barriers to maintaining health. However, no significant correlations have been found between the factors of the Health Belief Model and changes in health behaviours.