Health Preserving Behavior of University Teachers: Value, Awareness, and Participation

Amidst the growing academic workload, professional burnout, and aging of academic staff in higher education, the preservation of university teachers’ health has not only social but also managerial significance. At the same time, health-preserving behavior of university teachers remains underexplored as a research object. The aim of the study is to identify key gaps in university teachers’ health-preserving practices: between the value of health and actual behavior, between awareness of preventive measures and participation in them, and between collective and individual needs. Methods. A sociological survey of university teachers at a regional university (n = 192) was conducted using a methodology that included self-assessment of health, lifestyle, awareness of prevention, as well as the identification of barriers and infrastructure deficits. Results. Despite the high subjective significance of health (9–10 points for two-thirds of respondents), regular engagement in preventive activities remains low. Significant gaps were revealed: awareness of preventive measures is substantially higher than actual participation; declared attention to prevention is not accompanied by vaccine adherence; individual needs for preventive measures are lower than collective demands. Key barriers (according to teachers) include time deficit, infrastructure deficits, and insufficient access to sports and recreational services. A monitoring tool is presented that allows systematic recording of gaps in health-preserving behavior.  The results can be used by university administrators to prioritize directions when developing measures to improve working conditions and disease prevention among teachers.