Comparing mental health and well-being of US undergraduate and graduate students during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

Dial, Lauren A.; DeNardo, Faith; Fevrier, Bradley; Morgan, Amy L.; Du, Chen; Tucker, Robin M.; Hsiao, Pao Ying; Ludy, Mary‐Jon

doi:10.1080/07448481.2021.1996372

Cited by 20 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Race was collected only in the U.S. and Malaysia, and ethnicity was only collected in the U.S., as race and ethnicity diversification is more prevalent in these countries. Graduate status was defined as students who were pursuing masters, doctoral, or professional degrees; this information was collected because differences in stress [ 55 ], dietary risks [ 56 ], and BMI [ 57 ] between undergraduate and graduate students have been reported. International status was determined when students were attending universities outside of their home country.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Differences in the Relationships between Perceived Stress, Eating Behaviors, Sleep, Dietary Risk, and Body Mass Index

Adjepong

Zan

et al. 2022

Nutrients

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Background: Obesity is a growing epidemic among university students, and the high levels of stress reported by this population could contribute to this issue. Singular relationships between perceived stress; engagement in restrained, uncontrolled, and emotional eating; sleep; dietary risk; and body mass index (BMI) have been reported in the current body of literature; however, these constructs interact with each other, and the complex relationships among them are infrequently examined. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the complex relationships between these constructs using mediation and moderation analyses stratified by gender. Methods: A cross-sectional study, enrolling university students from the United States (U.S.), the Netherlands, South Korea, Malaysia, Ireland, Ghana, and China, was conducted between October 2020 and January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived stress; maladaptive eating behaviors including restrained, uncontrolled, and emotional eating; sleep duration and quality; dietary risk; and BMI were assessed using validated questionnaires, which were distributed through an online platform. Results: A total of 1392 students completed the online survey (379 male, 973 female, and 40 who self-identified as “other”). Uncontrolled and emotional eating mediated the relationship between perceived stress and dietary risk for both males and females; higher sleep quality weakened this relationship among female students but not males. Emotional eating mediated the relationship between perceived stress and BMI for both males and females, but higher sleep quality weakened this relationship only among females. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that students in higher education are likely to benefit from interventions to reduce uncontrolled and emotional eating. Programs that improve sleep quality, especially during highly stressful periods, may be helpful.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Differences in the Relationships between Perceived Stress, Eating Behaviors, Sleep, Dietary Risk, and Body Mass Index

Adjepong

Zan

et al. 2022

Nutrients

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“…The selection criteria included: (a) undergraduate students; (b) Not volunteering or working for the university during the pandemic. Compared to graduate students, undergraduate students reported higher rates of emotions and behaviors related to poor mental health ( 25 , 26 ). While volunteers or staff were required to complete tasks assigned by the university every day, such as meals delivery and nucleic acid testing, etc., which were not suitable for this study.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical activity and mental health in sports university students during the COVID-19 school confinement in Shanghai

Wang

2022

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundIn 2022, Shanghai was seriously affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The government implemented citywide static management for 2 months, as well as all universities in Shanghai, which changed the normal learning and living style of sports students and led to a decline in physical activity level. As the physical activity has a strong correlation with mental health, this study aimed to investigate the current state of physical activity (PA) and mental health of the students in Shanghai University of Sport. It will try to reveal the correlation between PA and depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, fear of COVID-19 and smartphone addiction.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted on a random sample of 400 students who came from six different majors in May 2022 at the Shanghai University of Sport. Respondents completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF), the Chinese version of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Chinese version of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the Chinese version of the COVID-19 Fear Scale (FCV- 19S), and the Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS-SV). Demographics, PA, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, fear of COVID-19, and smartphone addiction were compared. A binary logistic regression model was used for the further analysis.ResultsA total of 376 college students were included in the final analysis. Binary logistics analysis showed that moderate physical activity (MPA) was negatively correlated with depression (OR = 0.95, 95%CI = 0.93–0.98), anxiety (OR = 0.97, 95%CI = 0.95–0.99), fear of COVID 19(OR = 0.99, 95%CI = 0.98–0.99)and smartphone addiction (OR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.9–0.98) (all P < 0.05). Sedentary behavior was positively correlated with smartphone addiction (OR = 1.01, P < 0.01, 95%CI = 1.001–1.004).ConclusionThere was an association between the presence of MPA and depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, fear of COVID-19, smartphone addiction, and sedentary behavior associated with smartphone addiction levels. Clarifying the causal relationship between PA and mental health will require further research.

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“…Since our data were collected during the pandemic where the event has been regarded as a traumatic stressor [ 47 ] with significant increases in RNT [ 48 ], it is possible that increased RNT and trauma and other unpleasant meditation experiences can in part explain the higher prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety in meditators within the current study. Furthermore, since our survey collection occurred in May and July 2020 where indoor social gatherings or indoor recreation settings were still restricted to some degree across the nation, it is possible that a higher percentage of those who meditated within our current study experienced anxiety compared to others because they were doing so from a location of social isolation [ 46 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Easing anxiety symptoms through leisure activities during social isolation: Findings from nationally representative samples

Cheong,

Kazanjian,

Puyat

2024

PLoS ONE

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Public health interventions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate anxiety symptoms for many. We conducted this study to better understand the role of leisure activity in promoting mental wellness during times of social isolation and reduced access to recreation facilities and mental health support services. We analyzed nationally representative survey data collected by Statistics Canada as part of the Canadian Perspectives Survey Series (CPSS) during May 4–10 (CPSS 2) and July 20 to 26, 2020 (CPSS 4). Data related to leisure activity and anxiety symptoms as measured by a score of more than 10 on the General Anxiety Disorder scale were examined using descriptive and log-binomial regression analyses. Survey sampling weights were applied in all analyses, and regression results were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics. Exercise and communication with friends and loved ones were the most frequently reported leisure activity. Prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety symptoms reported by participants was lower in CPSS 4 compared to CPSS 2. Results of adjusted log-binomial regression analyses revealed lower prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety symptoms in those who engaged in exercise and communication, while those who meditated exhibited higher prevalence. In conclusion, leisure activities, such as exercise and communication with loved ones, can promote mental wellness. Future research should clarify the role of meditation for mental wellness promotion during periods of social isolation.

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Comparing mental health and well-being of US undergraduate and graduate students during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 20 publications

References 85 publications

Gender Differences in the Relationships between Perceived Stress, Eating Behaviors, Sleep, Dietary Risk, and Body Mass Index

Gender Differences in the Relationships between Perceived Stress, Eating Behaviors, Sleep, Dietary Risk, and Body Mass Index

Physical activity and mental health in sports university students during the COVID-19 school confinement in Shanghai

Easing anxiety symptoms through leisure activities during social isolation: Findings from nationally representative samples

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