Author(s): Almeida, Raquel Simões de ; Rodrigues, Andreia ; Tavares, Sofia ; Barreto, João F. ; Marques, António ; Trigueiro, Maria João ; Simões de Almeida, Raquel ; Barreto, João Francisco ; Pereira da Silva Marques, António José ; Trigueiro, Maria João
Date: 2025
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/30704
Origin: Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico do Porto
Subject(s): Mental health; Lifestyle; Higher education; Young people; Well-being
This study aimed to describe the lifestyle factors and mental health levels among higher education students and identify their predictors. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 745 students was conducted with students from the Polytechnic of Porto using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE)-18, and FANTASTICO Lifestyle Questionnaire. The findings indicate that while students generally exhibited a positive lifestyle, they also experienced mild levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, nearing the moderate threshold. The DASS-21 Depression subscale was a significant predictor of both CORE-18 and FANTASTICO scores, underscoring the strong relationship between depression and overall well-being. Anxiety and stress were also predictors of CORE-18 scores, reflecting the negative impact of stress on students’ psychological well-being. Perceived health status and the male sex were associated with better outcomes on the DASS-21 and CORE-18, while the female sex predicted a healthier lifestyle, as measured by FANTASTICO. These findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions that address mental health and promote healthy lifestyle choices in educational settings.
