Towards a health promoting university: descriptive findings on health, wellbeing and academic performance amongst university students in Australia

Abstract

Background Universities are increasingly recognised as institutions where health and wellbeing can be promoted to maximise academic outcomes, career transitions, and lifelong positive health behaviours. There is concern about the mental health of university students and other factors which affect academic outcomes particularly for subgroups such as international students. There are few cohort studies of the breadth of issues that can impact on mental health and academic outcomes for both local and international students. We conducted a baseline prevalence survey of students at a large Australian university covering health, academic, and social determinants of wellbeing. The purpose was to inform the university’s new student health and wellbeing framework with a view to follow-up to determine predictors of mental ill-health and academic outcomes in the subsequent year. In this paper we present the baseline prevalence data and report on selected mental health and health care access issues for local and international students. Methods The entire university population as of April 2019 of over 56,375 students aged 18 or above were invited to complete the online survey. Questions explored eight domains: demographic characteristics, general health and wellbeing, mental health, risk taking behaviours, psychosocial stressors, learning and academic factors, social and cultural environment, and awareness of and access to health and wellbeing services. Records of academic results were also accessed and matched with survey data for a large subset of students providing consent. Results Fourteen thousand eight hundred eighty (26.4%) students commenced our survey and were representative of the entire student population on demographic characteristics. Three quarters were aged between 18 to 25 years and one third were international students. Eighty-five percent consented to access of their academic records. Similar proportions of local and international students experienced symptoms of a depression or anxiety disorder, however international students were less aware of and less likely to access available health services both inside and external to the university. We also reported on the prevalence of: general lifestyle factors (diet, exercise, amount of daily sleep); risk-taking behaviours (including alcohol, tobacco and other drug use; unprotected sexual activity); psychosocial stressors (financial, intimate partner violence, discrimination, academic stressors, acculturative stress); subjects failed; resilience; social supports; social media use; and health services accessed online. Conclusions This rigorous and comprehensive examination of the health status of local and international students in an Australian university student population establishes the prevalence of mental health issues and other psychosocial determinants of health and wellbeing, along with academic performance. This study will inform a university-wide student wellbeing framework to guide health and wellbeing promotion and is a baseline for a 12-month follow-up of the cohort in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mental health of international university students from China during the COVID-19 pandemic and the protective effect of social support: A longitudinal study

“…The present study examined two waves of data collected through the “Towards a Health Promoting University” study ( Sanci et al, 2022 ), which was based at a single tertiary educational institute in Melbourne, Australia. The baseline survey (Wave 1) was conducted between 2 April to 3 June 2019.…”

“…The baseline survey (Wave 1) was conducted between 2 April to 3 June 2019. All students who were enrolled at the institution in March/April 2019, and who were over 18 years old were invited to participate in this survey ( Sanci et al, 2022 ). Students enrolled in non-award courses, cross-institutional or exchange programs, and whose status was ‘not admitted’ were excluded.…”

Changes in mental health across the COVID-19 pandemic for local and international university students in Australia: a cohort study

“…All undergraduate, postgraduate, and graduate research students aged 18+ and enrolled at the University were invited via direct email to participate in the original 20-min online health and wellbeing survey in 2019. Of the 56,375 students invited, 14,880 students participated in Wave 1 (for full details of methods see Sanci and colleagues [ 25 ]). For Wave 2, all students who responded to the Wave 1 survey and remained enrolled at the university in 2020 were contacted again and invited to participate in a shorter, five-minute Wave 2 online survey.…”

Using Music to Manage Anxiety: A Mixed Methods Intervention Study Between Two Lockdowns

“…High levels of student distress have been demonstrated in a number of Australian studies. Sanci [6] found that 1 in 3 of the 14,880 student's surveyed reported experiencing stressors at The University of Melbourne, and comparison of self-report data with academic outcomes showed a clear association between poorer mental health and lower scores. This is less than a national tertiary wellbeing survey conducted by Headspace in 2016.…”

“…Students attending regional universities, located in towns, cities or areas that are geographically beyond Australia's major capital cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, Perth or Brisbane, have been described as experiencing more social isolation, relocation, and financial difficulties than capital city-based students [8]. These dislocation issues seem similar to concerns for international students who have been identified as having access to less social supports whilst simultaneously dealing with stressors of using a second language and experiencing discrimination [6]. A South African study [9] also highlighted how feelings of fear and being disrespected were linked with low levels of wellbeing for marginalised students.…”