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. 2025 Apr;36(2):e70003.
doi: 10.1002/hpja.70003.

A Qualitative Investigation of University Student's Perceptions of Health Behaviours and Associations With Educational Outcomes Through the Lens of the WHO Framework on Health Behaviours and Educational Outcomes

Lena Y Babaeer  1   2 , Michalis Stylianou  3 , Mansoureh Nickbakht  4 , Sjaan R Gomersall  1   5
Affiliations

A Qualitative Investigation of University Student's Perceptions of Health Behaviours and Associations With Educational Outcomes Through the Lens of the WHO Framework on Health Behaviours and Educational Outcomes

Lena Y Babaeer et al. Health Promot J Austr. 2025 Apr.

Abstract

Issue addressed: Informed by the World Health Organisation's (WHO) framework on health behaviours and educational outcomes (EO), this study examined university students' perceptions about factors influencing their health behaviours and relationships between health behaviours and EO.

Methods: Data collection involved 12 semi-structured focus groups with 37 domestic and international undergraduate students (32 females; mean age = 20.3 ± 3.43 years) studying in various academic years and programs at the main campus of The University of Queensland. Data analysis included an initial inductive thematic analysis to develop themes, followed by a deductive thematic analysis to map the identified themes onto the WHO framework.

Results: Several themes were identified regarding students' health behaviours, including factors at the micro (knowledge and skills; personal attributes; socio-demographic characteristics; time), meso (geographic location; university; social influences), and macro (COVID-19 related policies and restrictions) levels. Two themes were identified relating to students' perceptions of the relationships between health behaviours and EO (relationships with short-term EO; elements mediating this relationship), with most relevant discussions centred around sleep.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that to optimise university students' health and EO, strategies should target multiple health behaviours and address multiple levels of influence. Interventions focused on time management skills and understanding sedentary behaviour may be particularly useful for this population. SO WHAT?: University students' health behaviours should be addressed with consideration of the educational context and use of contextually relevant frameworks. Promotion efforts should prioritise strategies that address multiple levels of influence, which may result in positive outcomes across multiple health behaviours and EO.

Keywords: educational outcomes; health behaviours; influencing factors; qualitative study; university students.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flowchart of the data analysis process employed (based on Braun & Clarke [28, 29]).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Summary of results in the context of the WHO framework on health behaviours and educational outcomes.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Identified themes and categories at each level of influence for Research Question 1.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Themes, sub‐themes and categories for Research Question 2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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