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. 2020 Oct 31;17(21):8024.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17218024.

Lifestyle, Quality of Life, and Health Promotion Needs in Mexican University Students: Important Differences by Sex and Academic Discipline

Georgina Mayela Núñez-Rocha  1 , Cynthia Karyna López-Botello  1 , Ana María Salinas-Martínez  1   2 , Hiram V Arroyo-Acevedo  3 , Rebeca Thelma Martínez-Villarreal  4 , María Natividad Ávila-Ortiz  1
Affiliations

Lifestyle, Quality of Life, and Health Promotion Needs in Mexican University Students: Important Differences by Sex and Academic Discipline

Georgina Mayela Núñez-Rocha et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Few studies have evaluated and contrasted the lifestyles and quality of life of university students by academic discipline. We compared university students' lifestyle and quality of life, and schools' compliance with health promotion guidelines. Then, needs were ranked and prioritized. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in a public university in Northeastern Mexico. Higher education students with no visual or hearing impairment from six different academic disciplines were included (N = 5443). A self-administered and anonymous questionnaire was applied that included the HPLP (Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile) and SF-12 scales. A check list was employed for measuring 26 on-site schools' compliance with health promotion guidelines, and needs were ranked using Z-scores. The mean lifestyle was 53.9 ± 14.8 and the mean quality of life was 69.7 ± 5. Men had healthier lifestyles with more exercise and better stress management. The mean compliance with health promotion guidelines was 58.7%. Agricultural Sciences students had the highest need for improving both lifestyle and quality of life. Arts, Education, and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, and Social and Administrative Sciences schools ranked first in need for health promotion actions. The methodology used allowed hierarchization of areas requiring planning and implementation of specific actions, and the results indicated that healthy lifestyles and quality of life should be a priority.

Keywords: Mexico; health promotion; lifestyle; quality of life; university students.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Ranking of students’ lifestyle and quality of life needs by academic discipline (N = 5443). * A higher negative Z-score indicates higher priority. AEH, Arts, Education, and Humanities; ALS, Agricultural Sciences; HS, Health Sciences; NES, Natural and Exact Sciences; SAS, Social and Administrative Sciences; ET, Engineering and Technology.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Ranking of schools’ health promotion needs by academic discipline (N = 26). * A higher negative Z-score indicates higher priority. AEH, Arts, Education and Humanities; ALS, Agricultural Sciences; HS, Health Sciences; NES, Natural and Exact Sciences; SAS, Social and Administrative Sciences; ET, Engineering and Technology.
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