University Students' Financial Situation During COVID-19 and Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms: Results of the COVID-19 German Student Well-Being Study (C19 GSWS).

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on students' financial situation as well as on their mental health. Aim: To examine the reported change in the financial situation of German university students before and across two time points of the COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate its associations with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Methods: We used data from the cross-sectional COVID-19 German Student Well-being Study conducted at five German universities (N = 7203). Linear regression models were used to analyze associations between a reported change in financial situation and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results: Twenty-eight percent of the participants reported to have a worsened financial situation at the time of the survey compared to the time prior to the pandemic. A worsened financial situation at the time of the survey as compared to prior to the pandemic was associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms reported in all three depression and anxiety scales [a 1.46 point increase on the CES-D 8 scale (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19; 1.73), a 0.37-point increase in PHQ-2 (95% CI: 0.28; 0.46), and a 0.45-point increase in GAD-2 (95% CI: 0.35; 0.55)]. An improved financial situation, on the other hand, was associated with lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. As for the second change, comparing the current financial situation with the situation during the first wave of the pandemic, the associations with anxiety and depressive symptoms were broadly similar. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that students are a vulnerable population in need of mental and financial support during times of crisis. Future research is needed to obtain insights into potential long-term effects of the pandemic on students' mental health.

Effects of the Population-Based "10,000 Steps Duesseldorf" Intervention for Promoting Physical Activity in Community-Dwelling Adults: Protocol for a Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization recommends 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA), which translates to approximately 7000 to 10,000 steps per day for adults. In Germany, less than half of the population in this age range meets this recommendation, highlighting the need for population-based intervention approaches for promoting daily PA. OBJECTIVE: The complex community-based PA intervention "10,000 Steps Ghent," which was originally developed in Belgium and was shown to be effective for PA promotion, has been adapted for implementation and evaluation in 2 German cities. The original Belgian study is currently being replicated, and we aim to examine the effectiveness of the adapted intervention among adults living in intervention city districts in Duesseldorf when compared with those living in control city districts in Wuppertal, over the course of 1 year. METHODS: A controlled intervention trial examining the effects of an intervention addressing multiple levels (eg, individual level: website; organizational level: PA promotion in companies; community level: media campaigns and environmental changes) is being conducted. PA and various secondary outcomes will be assessed in 2 random samples of adults aged 25 to 75 years (n=399 in each city) at baseline and after 1 year. RESULTS: Funding for this study was obtained in March 2020. Recruitment for this study and baseline data collection were conducted from May 2021 to March 2022 (as of March 2022, 626 participants were enrolled in the study). The intervention will be implemented in Duesseldorf for 1 year from April 2022 onward, and follow-up assessments will be conducted, starting in May 2023 (until September 2023). Data analysis will be performed in fall 2023, and the results will be published in spring 2024. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first research project (currently underway in Germany) that is aimed at replicating the effects of a complex intervention for PA promotion that was previously shown to be effective in another European country. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00024873; https://tinyurl.com/4c9e8azh. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/39175.

Fear of Infection and Depressive Symptoms among German University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of COVID-19 International Student Well-Being Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant psychological impact at the population level and fear of infection is one of the stressors involved. The study aimed to examine fear of infection and associations with university students' depressive symptoms, substance use, and social contacts during the COVID-19 outbreak in Germany in May 2020. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted at four German universities (n = 5.021, 69% female, mean age: 24 years) as part of the COVID-19 International Student Well-being Study. Fear of infection was assessed using self-generated items, depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Scale (CES-D-8). Associations between fear of infection and depressive symptoms were analyzed with linear regressions, controlling for sociodemographic variables. A total of 34% of the participants reported feeling worried about getting infected themselves, 75% were worried about someone from their personal network getting infected, and 78% feared that individuals close to them would get severely ill after infection. Sixteen percent of the variance of depressive symptoms could be explained by fear of infection (p ≤ 0.001). Students' fear of infection should be considered in student communication and counseling to prevent worsening of mental health in this population.

Critical Health Literacy in a Pandemic: A Cluster Analysis Among German University Students.

Objectives: In the COVID-19 pandemic, critical health literacy (CHL-P) has been proposed as a means of addressing issues of complexity, uncertainty, and urgency. Our study aimed to identify CHL-P clusters among university students in Germany and to analyze associations with potential determinants. Methods: In May 2020, students at four German universities participated in the COVID-19 International Student Well-Being Study, an online survey that yielded a non-probabilistic sample of N = 5,021. CHL-P, COVID-19-related knowledge, worries, risk perception, and adherence to protective measures were measured in an online questionnaire with self-constructed items. We conducted a cluster analysis of the five CHL-P items and performed logistic regression analyses. Results: Two CHL-P clusters were identified: high vs. moderate CHL-P. Belonging to the high-CHL-P cluster (31.2% of students) was significantly associated with older age, female/other gender, advanced education, higher levels of parental education, and moderate importance placed on education. In addition, higher levels of knowledge, risk perception and worries, and adherence to protective measures were associated with high CHL-P cluster membership. Conclusion: Students would benefit from educational measures that promote CHL-P at German universities.