Assessing the Relationship between Physical Health, Mental Health and Students' Success among Universities in Lebanon: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Achieving high academic success is known to be influenced by many factors including, but not limiting to, physical and mental health. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between physical health, mental health, and university students' success, and to explore the associations between these factors and their academic achievement. METHODS: A cross-sectional, self-administered online survey was used to collect data from college students in three different universities in Lebanon during the Fall 2023 semester. Mental health was evaluated using validated screening tools for depression, anxiety, and stress, specifically the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), respectively. Additionally, general questions regarding physical health and lifestyle factors were incorporated into the questionnaire. Academic achievement was measured using students' grade point average (GPA). RESULTS: A total of 261 students completed the self-administered online survey. The results revealed that approximately 42% and 36% of students were experiencing moderate to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively, and 75.1% of students exhibited symptoms of moderate stress. The majority of participants (99.2%) did not report any physical disability. Chi-square analysis revealed a significant association between mental health status (depression, anxiety, and stress) and GPA level (p = 0.03, p = 0.044, p = 0.015, respectively). Multiple logistic regression models identified eight correlates of GPA and highlighted the relationship between physical health and student success. For instance, students who considered themselves moderately active had lower odds of achieving a higher GPA than those who considered themselves active (OR = 0.41, p = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first investigation into Lebanese university students' academic success in relation to lifestyle and mental health profiles. The findings indicate that implementing public health programs and interventions targeting mental health and lifestyle behaviors is essential for enhancing student success.

Bisphenol A exposure assessment from olive oil consumption.

The use of bisphenol A (BPA) in packaging has grown over the past 50 years despite concerns of its migration into packaged food and beverages, resulting in human exposure. Many studies have reported tumorigenic effects and endocrine alterations associated with BPA in animal models. This study aims at assessing human exposure to BPA from olive oil. A total of 27 olive oil samples were collected from mills and local villagers in the Hasbaya District, a major olive oil harvesting region in Lebanon. Information on storage conditions was also collected. BPA was extracted and quantified by HPLC. Results showed significantly higher BPA levels in olive oil samples stored in plastic vs. non-plastic packaging (mean = 333 vs. 150 µg/kg, p value = 0.006), samples with a plastic storage duration of >1 year compared to those with a storage duration of <1 year (mean = 452 vs. 288 µg/kg, p value = 0.008), and oil samples sourced from locals compared to oil mills (mean = 376 vs. 228 µg/kg, p value = 0.022). Statistically significant higher BPA levels remained for samples stored in plastic vs. non-plastic packaging in the bootstrap multivariable linear regression (B = 121.56, 95% CI 53.44-194.39, p value = 0.009). This is the first report on BPA levels in Mediterranean olive oil. The estimated exposure was 1.38% of the EFSA tolerable daily intake, hence there are no concerns about potential health risks from olive oil consumption.