Predictors of the Quality of Life of University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Quality of life (QOL) is a complex and multifaceted concept that has been used to study different aspects of people’s lives, including physical and psychological wellbeing, financial independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and living situation. In this study, we aimed to assess the QOL of a group of Spanish university students and identify associated factors. Method: We completed a cross-sectional study of the QOL of 868 university students using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. In addition, data regarding sociodemographic information and self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire—Short version), diet (Spanish Index of Healthy Eating), alcohol consumption (CAGE questionnaire) and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were collected. Results: A total of 66.2% of participants assessed their QOL positively, while 58.8% favorably evaluated their overall health. Students reported the highest scores for the physical health domain of QOL, whereas they gave the lowest scores for the psychological health domain. Age was inversely associated with QOL. Higher self-esteem and satisfaction with academic performance, as well as sleep and diet quality, were directly associated with higher QOL. The physical health domain of QOL was scored more highly by participants who had a healthy body weight or those who reported moderate levels of physical activity. Higher scores in the social relationships domain of QOL were directly linked to alcohol intake, smoking and low body weight in addition to being inversely associated with screen time. The psychological domain of QOL was lower for those who were overweight or lived alone. Conclusion: Many sociodemographic, academic and behavioral variables are associated with university students’ QOL. The present findings underscore the need to direct further initiatives toward identifying and overcoming barriers to increased QOL for university students.

Relationship between Health-promoting practices and the Health-related Quality of Life among Saudi University Students after the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: Cross-sectional Study

“…However, students in this study reported lower scores on the subscales of psychological and physical domains in the WHOQOL-BREF compared with previous national studies [46,47]. Based on the overall picture provided in the literature, there is an urgent need to incorporate health promotion programs and interventions into education to balance university students' academic achievement and overall well-being [34,45]. School administrators and faculty members need to explore barriers and start initiatives that focus on raising awareness regarding the importance of healthy lifestyle behaviors among university students.…”

“…The current findings offer pertinent data for decisionmakers who want to put strategies in place to find physical, psychological, social, and environmental obstacles to improve university students' health promotion practices and total QOL [45]. In this context, implementing programs aimed at enhancing socialization and physical health, creating health education initiatives to change students' unhealthy lifestyle choices, and preparing educators to recognize the immediate psychological needs of university students would all be significant and effective ways to enhance the QOL of university students [34,45].…”

The Impact of Service Learning on Academic, Professional and Physical Wellbeing Competences of EFL Teacher Education Students

“…Physical wellbeing is a healthy habit that must not be forgotten by university students of any area [ 24 ]. Is well known that during the higher education period, there is a multitude of important phases of development (physical, psychological, social, etc.)…”

“…Is well known that during the higher education period, there is a multitude of important phases of development (physical, psychological, social, etc.) that could affect different academic career chapters of the students, such as competition between peers, the amount of academic work or changes in living conditions [ 24 , 25 ]. Moreover, Ghassab-Abdollahi et al [ 26 ] emphasised the students’ low level of quality of life due to several factors, such as satisfaction with their studies [ 27 ], physical activity level [ 28 ], social relationships [ 29 ] and emotional wellbeing [ 30 ].…”

“…These factors and others have an effect on the effectiveness of teaching, especially on EFL teacher education students [ 2 ]. In addition, active experiences of EFL teacher education students with vulnerable groups through physical activity or movement games might produce an improvement in physical wellbeing because of the need for movement during the activities [ 24 ].…”