A cross-sectional study of university students’ mental health and lifestyle practices amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Hoteit R
PROVIDER: S-EPMC11020786 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundUniversity students, often unemployed and reliant on low-nutrition foods, are susceptible to food insecurity (FI) with potential physical and mental health challenges. This study explores FI and its impact on lifestyle behaviours among university students.MethodsA cross-sectional web-based study was performed by sending an online questionnaire to university students in Lebanon, Cyprus, and Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using validated measures, i.e., the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener, adjusted linear regression models were performed to assess the associations between country, FI and physical activity, sleep quality, and diet.ResultsIn a convenience sample of 611 individuals (350 in Germany, 214 in Lebanon, and 47 in Cyprus) enrolled in the study, 547 provided complete response. 190 (34.7%) experienced FI, of whom 52 (9.5%) were severely food-insecure, with variation of FI prevalence between countries (18.9% in Germany, 14.9% in Cyprus, and 60.3% in Lebanon). Lifestyle behaviours also differed between participants from the three countries, with students in Germany exhibiting the highest physical activity level and the lowest adherence to the Mediterranean diet compared with Lebanon and Cyprus. On the other hand, participants from Lebanon and Cyprus had similar physical activity and diet behaviours. Concerning sleep, students in Cyprus showed the poorest quality. FI significantly correlated with reduced physical activity (beta - 0.171, 95% Confidence Interval (-0.313, -0.029)), but not with sleep or diet. The country of residence independently predicted lifestyle behaviours (p < 0.05).ConclusionsThis study suggests that FI impacts university students in countries of varying income levels, and the country of residence independently influences lifestyle behaviours. Larger-size studies are essential to confirm these findings and further explore FI's impact on university students outside the context of the pandemic.
| S-EPMC11665100 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThe aim of the study was to search rates of depression and mental health in university students, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methodsThis is an observational cross-sectional study. A protocol gathering sociodemographic variables as well as depression, anxiety and suicidality and conspiracism was assembled, and data were collected anonymously and online from April 2020 through March 2021. The sample included 12,488 subjects from 11 countries, of whom 9,026 were females (72.2%; aged 21.11 ± 2.53), 3,329 males (26.65%; aged 21.61 ± 2.81) and 133 "non-binary gender" (1.06%; aged 21.02 ± 2.98). The analysis included chi-square tests, correlation analysis, ANCOVA, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analysis and Relative Risk ratios.ResultsDysphoria was present in 15.66% and probable depression in 25.81% of the total study sample. More than half reported increase in anxiety and depression and 6.34% in suicidality, while lifestyle changes were significant. The model developed explained 18.4% of the development of depression. Believing in conspiracy theories manifested a complex effect. Close to 25% was believing that the vaccines include a chip and almost 40% suggested that facemask wearing could be a method of socio-political control. Conspiracism was related to current depression but not to history of mental disorders.DiscussionThe current study reports that students are at high risk for depression during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified specific risk factors. It also suggested a role of believing in conspiracy theories. Further research is important, as it is targeted intervention in students' groups that are vulnerable both concerning mental health and conspiracism.
| S-EPMC10825874 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeConsidering the severity of the global outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the whole of humanity, particularly in this case on the physical and mental health of students, this study strives to explore the role of financial worries, employment anxiety and COVID-19 knowledge on depression and mental health among students in Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachIn the study, a deductive reasoning approach was employed, together with a self-administered questionnaire survey. Questionnaires were sent to the respondents via different social media and by email by creating a Google form link. We finally received 387 responses students aged over 18 years who had internet access in order to complete the survey. To analyze the data, structural equation modeling via AMOS was used.FindingsThe results showed that employment anxiety, financial worry, and knowledge on COVID-19 positively influence depression, and finally depression negatively influences the mental health of the students. Thus, our findings supported all of the proposed hypotheses.Originality/valueThe research enriches the existing literature pool by contributing empirical substantiation on the role of employment anxiety, financial worries and knowledge of COVID-19 in depression, and the impact of depression on mental health.
| S-EPMC8924029 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionMental health is recognized as a critical component of public health Given the close relationship between mental health and life style and the importance of students as valuable human resources, the present study aimed at determining the relationship between life style and mental health among medical students in Sousse during COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional observational study in university students from the first to the fifth grade of the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse during the academic year 2020/2021. Data were collected anonymously via an online questionnaire published on the Facebook groups of each grade, on december 2020. The online survey consisted of three sections. The first one aimed to collect sociodemographic information. The second section of the survey addressed recent lifestyle choices and the third one assessed psychological distress using the French version of 12 items of The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The significance level was considered 0.05.ResultsOverall 147 were studied. Using the bimodal scoring, the total score was between 0 and 12, to evoke psychiatric disorders, we set the threshold of 4. For our sample, the median scale was 7 [4-9], and more than half of the students (68%; n = 100) had a score higher than 4. Psychiatric disorder was significantly more frequent in female students (73.3% vs 42.3%; p = 0.002). Higher GHQ-scale was found in younger students, foreigners, students who need more than 30 minutes to get to the faculty, unemployed students, and students of fifth grade. However, differences were not statistically significant. Regarding lifestyle choices, we found that physical inactivity, no smoking habits, no alcohol use, no illicit substance use, other substance use, changing in eating habits, and absence of coping methods of stress were higher in students with psychiatric disorders. However, this association was statistically significant only for physical activity (p = 0.016). The results of the regression analysis suggest female gender as an independent predictor of high GHQ-12 scores. Practicing physical activity was found as protective factor for psychiatric disorders.ConclusionConsidering the vital role of medical students in providing and promoting community health, the need for more detailed planning and interventions to improve their life style and mental health is essential.
| S-EPMC9543638 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundCovid-19 pandemic became an unexpected stressor for the entire population and, particularly, for pregnant women and lactating mothers. The alarming infectious risk together with the lockdown period could affect the emotional state of mothers-to-be, as well as breastfeeding rates, mother-baby bonding, or neonatal weight gain. The aim of this study is to describe the impact of this world health emergency in mother-baby pairs right after the first wave of Sars-Cov-2 pandemic (from March to May 2020).Study designA prospective observational study was carried out in mother-child dyads from those women who gave birth between June and August 2020 in a tertiary hospital. 91 mother-baby pairs were initially enrolled and 56 of them completed the follow-up. The study design had two separate steps: i) Step one: A clinical interview plus three psychometric tests (EPDS: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, PBQ: Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire and STAI-S: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory); ii) Step two: mother-child dyads were followed using a round of three brief telephone interviews (conducted at the newborn's 7, 14 and 28 days of age) to accurately depict the newborn's outcome in the neonatal period.ResultsIn terms of maternal mental health, 25% of the sample screens positively in the EPDS, requiring further evaluation to rule out depressive symptoms. STAI-state and PBQ detect no abnormalities in either anxiety levels or mother-child bonding in our sample, as 100% of the mothers score below the cut-off points in each test (34 and 26 respectively). When comparing feeding practices (breast/bottle feeding) in 2020 to those practices during pre-pandemic years (2017-2019), a significant increase in breastfeeding was found in pandemic times. All newborns in the sample showed an adequate weight gain during their first month of life.ConclusionWomen and newborns in our sample did not experience an increase in adverse outcomes in the neonatal period in terms of maternal mental health, breastfeeding rates, bonding and further neonatal development.
| S-EPMC9511438 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Sleep insufficiency is often associated with the life of a university student, yet it is well known that inadequate sleep can have a negative impact on physical and mental health and be detrimental to cognitive skills for learning. The aim of this study was to replicate a Canadian study to survey university student sleep practices, the way in which students address any sleep issues, and the students' preferred method to receive targeted sleep information. Methods:An anonymous on-line survey was promoted to all enrolled students at one Australian University in August 2017. Results:In total, 601 students responded to the survey. One third indicated that they had insufficient sleep (less than 6.5 hrs). Almost two thirds reported a perception of not getting sufficient sleep. There was a significant association between the reported number of sleep hours, and the perception of high-quality sleep. Strategies to get to sleep included the use of social media which is counter to best practice in sleep hygiene. Conclusion:The study supports the need for education about sleep health coupled with stress management to better the demands of student life.
| S-EPMC6986411 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental well-being of students worldwide. There is a scarcity of information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to investigate the mental health impact of the COVID-19, including depression, anxiety and resilience among a sample of university students in the UAE.MethodsA cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted from September to November 2021. The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) were used to assess depression, anxiety, and resilience. The COVID-19 impact was assessed using a list of questions.ResultsOnly, 798 students completed the survey and were analyzed for this study. Overall, 74.8% of the students were females, 91.2% were never married, and 66.3% were UAE-nationals. Based on PHQ-9 and GAD-7 cut-off scores (≥ 10), four out of ten of the students self-reported moderate to severe depression (40.9%) and anxiety (39.1%). Significantly higher mean PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were found among students who were impacted by COVID-19 than those non-impacted (mean PHQ-9 = 9.51 ± 6.39 and 6.80 ± 6.34; p = 0.001, respectively) and (mean GAD-7 = 9.03 ± 6.00 and 8.54 ± 6.02; respectively, p < 0.001). Female students who were impacted by COVID-19 had statistically significant higher depression and anxiety scores (mean PHQ-9 of 9.14 ± 5.86 vs. 6.83 ± 6.25, respectively; p < 0.001) than the non-impacted females (mean GAD-7 of 9.57 ± 6.32 vs. 5.15 ± 3.88, respectively; p = 0.005). Never married students had significantly higher PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores than ever-married (9.31 ± 6.37 vs. 6.93 ± 5.47, P = 0.003) and (8.89 ± 6.11 vs. 7.13 ± 5.49, respectively; p = 0.017).ConclusionsThe results of this study demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of this sample of university students in terms of depression and anxiety. The results highlight the need to adopt culturally appropriate interventions for university students and focus on vulnerable groups.
| S-EPMC9756732 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveOn 20 July 2021, after the outbreak of COVID-19 at Nanjing Lukou International Airport, several universities started closed management and online teaching. This had a large impact on students' daily life and study, which may lead to mental health problems. The purpose of this study is to study the effect of screen time on mental health status of university students and the possible mediating effect of sleep status.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study. A web-based questionnaire survey was employed that included demographic characteristics, sleep status and mental health status (depression, anxiety and loneliness). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale was used to assess sleep status, while the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale, Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale and Emotional versus Social Loneliness Scale (ESLS) were used to assess depression, anxiety and loneliness, respectively. Linear and logistic regression models were developed and adjusted for confounding factors, and finally the mediating effects were tested using the Karlson-Holm-Breen method.ResultsFinally, 1070 valid questionnaires were included. Among these, 604 (56.45%) indicated depressive symptoms (CES-D score ≥16) and 902 (84.30%) indicated anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 score ≥10). The mean ESLS score (for loneliness) was 26.51±6.64. The relationship between screen time and depressive symptoms (OR 1.118, 95% CI 1.072 to 1.166) and anxiety symptoms (OR 1.079, 95% CI 1.023 to 1.138) remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors. Meanwhile, sleep status plays an intermediary role in screen time and mental health status (depression and anxiety) and accounts for 13.73% and 19.68% of the total effects, respectively. We did not find a significant association between screen time and loneliness.ConclusionDuring the outbreak of COVID-19, screen time is inevitably prolonged among university students. There is a relationship between mental health and screen time, and sleep status plays a mediating role.
| S-EPMC10729102 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThis cross-sectional study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of Vietnamese university students regarding COVID-19.MethodsA validated questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha = 0.71) was used to survey 1,025 students. A convenience sampling method was used for recruiting students from April to May 2022. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test and the Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test/Dunn test for multiple comparisons were employed to compare students' KAP scores between two groups and among three groups or more, respectively. Factors associated with students' COVID-19 KAP scores were determined via univariate and multivariate linear regression models. Variables in the multivariate linear regression models were chosen using the Bayesian Model Averaging method in R software version 4.2.0.ResultsA majority of students had good knowledge (75.61%), positive attitudes (98.24%), and good practices toward COVID-19 (94.93%). Regarding the COVID-19 knowledge, the proportions of students who knew that mosquito bites and exposure to/eating wild animals would not lead to COVID-19 infection were not high (47.22 and 34.34%, respectively). More importantly, 70.34% of students thought that vitamins and minerals could help prevent or cure COVID-19. Antibiotics were the first choice for COVID-19 treatment of 438 students (42.73%). Nearly half of students (48.0%) bought antibiotics to keep at home in case of COVID-19 infection. The average KAP scores of medical students (19.97 ± 3.99, 45.10 ± 3.94, 9.72 ± 1.78) and females (18.67 ± 4.44, 44.79 ± 3.79, 9.36 ± 1.84) were significantly higher than those of non-medical students (16.48 ± 4.37, 43.33 ± 4.03, 8.68 ± 1.87) and males (17.01 ± 4.55, 42.79 ± 4.39, 8.77 ± 1.97), respectively (p < 0.001). Older students were more likely to have good knowledge and practices than the younger ones (p < 0.001). In addition, students using websites of the World Health Organization/the Ministry of Health and scientific articles to seek COVID-19 information were significantly associated with higher KAP scores when compared with those not using these sources (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.00139, respectively).ConclusionStudents' KAP scores significantly varied by age, sex, major, and sources of COVID-19 information. Although many students had sufficient knowledge, positive attitudes, and good preventive practices toward COVID-19, additional education and training strategies are paramount, especially for non-medical students and males.
| S-EPMC9633125 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic caused a major economic downturn that disproportionally affected university students. This empirical research investigated effects and risk factors of the pandemic on students’ economic situation with focus on financial distress and financial limitations. Data was collected using an online survey in May and June 2020 from students (n = 917) enrolled at universities in Germany. 80.6% were enrolled in bachelor programs (n = 738), the mean semester was 3.8 (standard deviation (SD = 2.0) and students’ mean age was 23.1 years (SD = 4.1). 51.8% (n = 472) were female and 47.4% (n = 432) male. 56.7% (n = 506) of students worked before the pandemic. More than one third reported a decrease in income (36.5%; n = 334) and an increase in financial constraints (38.7%; n = 354). A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that students with regular income were less likely to experience financial distress compared to those without (odds ratio (OR) = 0.456; p = 0.014). Furthermore, working part-time as associated with a higher financial distress compared to those without part-time employment (OR = 1.811; p = 0.003). Students who worked part-time before the pandemic also had a higher probability of increased financial restriction (or constraint) compared to those who did not work part-time (OR = 2.094; p < 0.001). University students were disproportionally affected by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased students’ economic uncertainty. To offset such problems, financial aid schemes for students need to be made available to alleviate distress and to allow students to focus on their studies but should not compound problems by leading to financial hardship at a later point in time.
| S-EPMC9536534 | biostudies-literature