Patterns of multiple health risk–behaviours in university students and their association with mental health: application of latent class analysis

Abstract

Introduction: University and college campuses may be the last setting where it is possible to comprehensively address the health of a large proportion of the young adult population. It is important that health promoters understand the collective challenges students are facing, and to better understand the broader lifestyle behavioural patterning evident during this life stage. The purpose of this study was to examine the clustering of modifiable health-risk behaviours and to explore the relationship between these identified clusters and mental health outcomes among a large Canadian university sample.Methods: Undergraduate students (n = 837; mean age = 21 years) from the University of Toronto completed the National College Health Assessment survey. The survey consists of approximately 300 items, including assessments of student health status, mental health and health-risk behaviours. Latent class analysis was used to identify patterning based on eight salient health-risk behaviours (marijuana use, other illicit drug use, risky sex, smoking, binge drinking, poor diet, physical inactivity, and insufficient sleep). Results:A three-class model based on student behavioural patterns emerged: "typical," "high-risk" and "moderately healthy." Results also found high-risk students reporting significantly higher levels of stress than typical students (χ 2 (1671) = 7.26, p < .01). Conclusion:Students with the highest likelihood of engaging in multiple health-risk behaviours reported poorer mental health, particularly as it relates to stress. Although these findings should be interpreted with caution due to the 28% response rate, they do suggest that interventions targeting specific student groups with similar patterning of multiple health-risk behaviours may be needed.

Are Psychological Distress and Resilience Associated with Dietary Intake Among Australian University Students?

“…AUDIT and DUDIT are screening tools to identify and grade alcohol and drug abuse or risk of. The cut points for the AUDIT include abstinence/low risk (0-7), moderate risk (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15), harmful/hazardous use (16)(17)(18)(19), or dependence . The cut points for the DUDIT are sex specific and include no drug related problems (males 0-5, females 0-1), drug related problems (males 6-24, females 2-24), or heavily dependent on drugs (25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44).…”

“…On the flipside, low resilience is indirectly associated with lower academic achievement, mediated by a lack of adaptive coping strategies and higher psychological distress. Higher psychological distress among university students has also been associated with unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, including unhealthy diet, excessive consumption of alcohol and smoking [12][13][14].…”

Examining the Relationship between Online Social Capital and eHealth Literacy: Implications for Instagram Use for Chronic Disease Prevention among College Students

“…Engaging in multiple health-risk behaviors is associated with poorer mental health status among the university population. 70 In addition, despite reporting relatively normal BMI ranges, low fruit and vegetable intake has been observed among college students as well. 71 As compared to the market research estimates of college students who use Instagram, 42 there is approximately double the number of college students in our sample who report using this social networking website.…”

Modern approaches to the problem of values’ formation of students’ healthy lifestyle in the course of physical training

“…In such researches scientists consider: − general-theoretical questions of a healthy lifestyle formation in different groups of the population [11,12]; − the social value of health culture education [13,14]; − the somatic health of youth [15]; − directions of increase in health's level by means of a recreation and rehabilitation [16]; It revealed the high interest of experts in questions of students' involvement in a healthy lifestyle [17]. Authors determine that the main formation criterions of healthy lifestyle values' in students are: − involving in regular training with physical culture [18,19]; − interesting in obesity prevention and keeping a healthy diet [20,21]; − health behavior and cardiometabolic risk factors [22]; − lifestyle factors connected with a depression [23]; − level of physical activity knowledge, students' knowledge about healthy and unhealthy nutrition habits and nutrition knowledge [24].…”