Emotional adjustment, reactivity to perceived stress and lifestyle behaviors

This study aimed to test the mediating role of perceived stress reactivity in relation to the emotional adjustment and health-promoting lifestyle behaviors in university students. For this purpose, 324 students (130 males and 194 females) were selected through availability sampling method and evaluated for emotional adjustment, reactivity to perceived stress, and health-promoting lifestyle. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the relationship between emotional adjustment with reactivity to perceived stress was significant and positive; and its relationship with lifestyle behaviors was significant and negative. Also, the relationship between reactivity to perceived stress was significant and negative with lifestyle behaviors. The results of the statistical methods of structural equation supported the relativity of mediatory role of reactivity to perceived stress in relationship between emotional adjustment and lifestyle behaviors. In the assumed model, 64 percent of the scores dispersion of perceived stress reactivity is ascribed through emotional adjustment; and 30 percent of scores distribution of lifestyle behaviors was attributed through emotional adjustment and reactivity to perceived stress. The results of this study suggest that a portion of differences in lifestyle behaviors in predictive context of these behaviors can be explained through emotional adjustment personal trait and the differences in the pattern of the preferred response to stressful experiences.