The association between health behaviours and academic performance moderated by trait mindfulness amongst university students: an observational study.

Objectives: To target health communication at less health-conscious groups, evidence on health behaviours' effects on non-health-related outcomes - such as academic performance - is necessary. Recent research has highlighted the associations of various health behaviours on academic performance of university students. However, there is a lack of research investigating the most predominant health behaviours simultaneously and their association with academic performance, as well as the factors that potentially influence the direction or strength of these associations. Therefore, this study investigated (I) which of the predominant health behaviours (physical activity, healthy diet, sleep, sedentary behaviour, alcohol consumption, smoking, drug use) are most associated with academic performance and (II) whether the personal resource of trait mindfulness moderates these associations. Methods: An online survey was conducted amongst university students during the 2021 summer semester. Group differences in academic performance regarding health behaviours were analysed using ANOVA (N = 1,049). A first linear regression model (N = 571), considering all selected health behaviours simultaneously, assessed their association with academic performance. A second model (N = 540) assessed interaction effects of health behaviours and trait mindfulness. Separate regressions assessed each interaction's association with academic performance. Results: Sleep, fruit and vegetable consumption, and gender were significantly associated with academic performance. The second model showed no significant interaction effects. Conclusion: Targeting sleep and fruit and vegetable consumption might be the most promising strategies for elevating students' academic performance, thereby enabling health communication strategies to reach groups driven by performance improvements rather than health benefits.

Conditional reciprocal stressor-strain effects in university students: a cross-lagged panel study in Germany.

University students worldwide are facing increasing mental health challenges. Traditional stress models, like the Job/Study Demand-Resources Model, link stressors directly to strain. Yet, recent studies suggest the influence of strain on stressors may be even stronger. Our research explored these reciprocal dynamics among university students, considering social support and mindfulness as potential moderators. We conducted a two-wave panel study with 264 university students. We ran separate cross-lagged panel structural equation analyses for three key health outcomes-emotional exhaustion, depression, and well-being-each paired with perceived study stressors, specifically workload and work complexity. Findings revealed significant stressor and strain effects, with social support notably moderating the impact of emotional exhaustion on workload. These insights challenge traditional stress theories and underscore the importance of mental health support and effective stress management strategies for students, emphasizing the need for proactive mental health initiatives in academic environments.

Mental health state and its determinants in German university students across the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from three repeated cross-sectional surveys between 2019 and 2021.

Background: Students were at an increased risk for elevated mental symptoms during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels. As universities remained closed much longer than anticipated, the mental burden was expected to persist through the second year of the pandemic. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of mental distress from 2019 through 2021 and identify risk factors for elevated mental burden, focusing on gender. Methods: We analyzed three cross-sectional online surveys among students at the University of Mainz, conducted in 2019 (n = 4,351), 2020 (n = 3,066), and 2021 (n = 1,438). Changes in the prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and loneliness were calculated using Pearson's chi-square tests and analyses of variance. Multiple linear regressions yielded associated risk factors. Results: The proportion of students with clinically relevant depressive symptoms was significantly higher during the pandemic (38.9% in 2020, and 40.7% in 2021), compared to pre-pandemic (29.0% in 2019). Similarly, more students reported suicidal ideation and generalized anxiety during the pandemic with a peak in the second pandemic year (2021). The level of loneliness was significantly higher in 2020, compared to 2019, and remained at a high level in 2021 (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.142). Female and diverse/open gender, being single, living alone, and being a first-year student were identified as risk factors associated with mental burden during the pandemic. Discussion: Mental burdens remained elevated among students through the second year of the pandemic and were associated with socio-demographic risk factors and pandemic-related concerns. Future research should monitor recovery and evaluate the need for psychosocial support.

Sedentary time of university students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Risk groups and pre-pandemic predictors using cross-sectional and longitudinal data.

Background: The present study aimed to (1) assess and compare sedentary time (ST) of university students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) examine risk groups with regard to ST and the "extent of change" in ST (from before to during the pandemic) in association with sociodemographic (gender, age), study-related (degree aspired to, field of study, semester), and pre-pandemic physical health-related [pre-pandemic physical activity (PA) and ST levels, pre-pandemic BMI class] variables, and (3) investigate whether the change in ST was predicted by these variables. Methods: Two online surveys were conducted among students at the University of Mainz, Germany-the first in 2019 (before the pandemic) and the second in 2020 (during the pandemic). Participants of both surveys were included in a longitudinal sample. With the longitudinal sample's data, paired t-tests, single factor, and mixed analyses of variances were used to examine group differences in ST and the "extent of change" in ST. A linear regression analysis was computed to investigate the influence of the abovementioned sociodemographic, study-related, and pre-pandemic physical health-related variables on the change in ST. Results: Of the N = 4,351 (pre-pandemic) and N = 3,066 (in-pandemic) participants of the online surveys, N = 443 entered the longitudinal sample. ST increased by 1.4 h/day to critical levels (≥8 h/day) in all subgroups analyzed-even among students who were highly physically active before the pandemic. Students with a low pre-pandemic ST had the largest increase in ST. Pre-pandemic PA level negatively predicted the change in ST. Conclusion: Even during a global pandemic lockdown, individuals who were previously more physically active and had less ST showed more health-promoting behavior in terms of ST. Therefore, it can be stated that efforts to promote PA and reduce ST are always valuable. Since ST increased and was worryingly high in all subgroups analyzed, all university students should be targeted by multidimensional approaches to tackle ST and promote their health.

Determinants of university students' COVID-19 vaccination intentions and behavior.

Vaccination hesitancy has been a major challenge for health authorities and societies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The general determinants of vaccination intentions and behavior include sociodemographic and health-related, psychological, and communication-related factors, with varying relevance for different types of vaccinations, countries, and target groups. The predictors of university students' COVID-19 vaccination behavior have not been sufficiently studied. Using a German university as an example and based on an online survey of 1398 university students, we investigated factors related to (a) the likelihood of vaccination against COVID-19 and (b) vaccination intention among those who had not been vaccinated by summer of 2021. Psychological factors showed high relevance. Field of study, trust in, and use of certain media and information channels were found to be important determinants of students' vaccination decision. Our findings can help better understand university students' vaccination behavior to develop and implement tailored strategies and campaigns.

The Prevalence of Pharmacological Neuroenhancement Among University Students Before and During the COVID-19-Pandemic: Results of Three Consecutive Cross-Sectional Survey Studies in Germany.

Background: According to the literature, the conditions of studying and living as well as the psychological, social and health behavior-related variables, which were strongly related to pharmacological neuroenhancement (PN) before the pandemic, significantly changed during the pandemic. For this reason, it is expected that the prevalence of PN among university students is higher during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate and compare the prevalence of PN among university students before and during the COVID-19-pandemic. Methods: Three online surveys assessing the 12-month prevalence of PN were conducted among university students at the University of Mainz, Germany. The first survey took place in summer term 2019 (before the pandemic), the second in summer term 2020 (during the first German lockdown), and the third in summer term 2021 (after the second German lockdown). Pearson's chi-square test was used to test whether the 12-month prevalence of PN differed significantly between the three surveys. Results: The 12-month prevalence of PN was 10.4% in 2019, 11.3% in 2020, and 8.0% in 2021. Chi-square tests revealed no statistical difference in the prevalence of PN between 2019 and 2020. Overall, the use of PN was lower in 2021 compared to 2019 (p < 0.0001) as well as in comparison to 2020 (p = 0.001). Only the use of cannabis slightly increased from 2019 to 2020 (7.1 vs. 8.3%) and decreased in 2021 (5.4%). At all three time points, cannabis was the most commonly used substance for the purpose of PN. Consequently, the results suggest that the prevalence of PN was highly intertwined with the prevalence of cannabis use for PN. Discussion: The decrease in the prevalence of PN of around three percentage points in 2021 compared to the previous years was a surprising finding. It may be mainly due to the decrease in the prevalence of cannabis for the purpose of PN. However, the fairly high prevalence of PN of around 8% in 2021 is still an important finding that demonstrates that there is still an urgent need for prevention initiatives among university students to combat the use of PN.

Potential risk groups and psychological, psychosocial, and health behavioral predictors of pharmacological neuroenhancement among university students in Germany.

Aiming to develop and implement intervention strategies targeting pharmacological neuroenhancement (PN) among university students more specifically, we (1) assessed the prevalence of PN among German university students, (2) identified potential sociodemographic and study-related risk groups, and (3) investigated sociodemographic, psychological, study-related psychosocial, general psychosocial and health behavior related factors predicting the 12-month prevalence of PN. Therefore, a cross-sectional online survey was administered to students of the University of Mainz, Germany. A binary logistic regression with stepwise inclusion of the five variable groups was performed to predict PN. A total number of 4351 students out of 31,213 registered students (13.9%) participated in the survey, of which N = 3984 answered the question concerning PN. Of these, 10.4% had used one substance for PN at least once in the past 12 months. The regression analysis revealed 13 variables that were significantly related to the 12-month prevalence of PN. Specifically, the group of health behavior related variables showed the strongest relationship with PN. Therefore, an approach to the prevention of PN should be multifactorial so that it addresses social conditions, as well as education on substance use and healthy behaviors in terms of non-pharmacological strategies as alternatives of PN.

The impact of lockdown stress and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health among university students in Germany.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a shutdown of universities in Germany. In a longitudinal design, we compared mental health (depression, anxiety, somatic complaints) of university students in Germany before (June to August 2019) and in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic (June 2020) and determined the impact of pandemic-related stress and loneliness on students' mental health in self-report online surveys. We investigated 443 participants (mean age 22.8 years), among them 77% female, and 10.4% medical students. A small increase of depression mean scores was observed (F(1,420) = 5.21; p = .023), anxiety and somatic complaints have not significantly changed. There was a medium increase in loneliness from pre-pandemic scores to the pandemic situation (F(1,423) = 30.56; p < .001). Analyzed with regression analyses, current loneliness and pre-pandemic distress represented the strongest associations with mental health during the pandemic. Additionally, health-related concerns during the pandemic were associated with symptoms of depression [b = 0.21; 95%CI(0.08; 0.34); t = 3.12; p = .002], anxiety [b = 0.07; 95%CI(0.01; 0.12); t = 2.50; p = .013], somatic complaints [b = 0.33; 95%CI(0.18; 0.47); t = 4.49; p < .001], and loneliness [b = 0.10; 95%CI(0.03; 0.17); t = 2.74; p = .006]. Social stress due to the pandemic situation was associated with loneliness [b = 0.38; 95%CI(0.32; 0.45); t = 11.75; p < .001]. The results imply that university students represent a risk group for psychosocial long-term ramifications of the pandemic.