EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL TIES AND LIFESTYLE BEHAVIORS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: ROLE OF SELF-MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AS A MEDIATOR

Abstract

The aim of the research was to examine the relationship between social ties, self-management strategies, and lifestyle behaviors of university students. It was hypothesized that there is a relationship between social ties, lifestyle behaviors, and self-management strategies as well as the mediating role of self-management strategies between the relationships. Data from (N=300) students in the age range 18-35 years were gathered from private universities of Lahore Pakistan through the purposive sampling technique. Social connectedness scale revision (Richard et al., 2001), Lifestyle behavior survey (Chopra et al., 2020), and Scale of coping (Hamby et al., 2013) were used in the study for data collection. For analysis, Pearson Moment Correlation, Independent sample t-test, Mediation analysis and Analysis of Variance were used. A significant positive relationship was found between social ties, self-management, and lifestyle behaviors of university students. The findings showed that self-management strategies significantly mediated between social ties and lifestyle behaviors. Universities can work on the wellness programs that incorporate self-management strategies, social support, and healthy lifestyle behaviors and can also provide accessible mental health resources, like counselling services and online support groups.