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Publication
Characterization of the lifestyle and well-being of students from the Polytechnic of Leiria
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| 2.15 MB | Adobe PDF |
Authors
Abstract(s)
Entering higher education marks a significant juncture in a student’s life. It often involves a
shift towards independence, characterized by a distancing from family and friends, increased
responsibilities, and greater autonomy in decision-making. These changes can influence
well-being and various aspects of lifestyle, such as dietary habits, exercise routines, alcohol
and drug use, and sexual behavior. Despite the initial excitement, this transition may also
induce stress and anxiety. Academic demands, including grades, exams, and deadlines,
as well as the newfound responsibilities of managing one’s schedule, finances, and social
relationships, all affect the well-being. Hence, several studies recently conducted on college
students have highlighted the importance of monitoring their well-being, especially since
several reports have indicated a significant increase in mental health issues among college
students, such as depression and anxiety. In particular, the Short Multidimensional Inventory
Lifestyle Evaluation (SMILE), developed in 2020, is a 43-item self-rated questionnaire
consisting of 7 domains, allowing a multidimensional evaluation of a (healthy) lifestyle.
Within this context, a web survey was conducted among students at the Polytechnic of
Leiria. This survey collected socio-demographic data, SMILE scores and clinical variables
data, including screening for depression and anxiety. The key insights gleaned from the
statistical analysis of the obtained data are summarized, particularly focusing on describing
lifestyle and well-being, discerning differences between categories, and validating the survey
instrument. Two supervised learning classification methodologies (logistic regression and
decision trees) were applied to identify depression and anxiety issues based on responses to
the survey. The reliability of these classifications were carry out using confusion matrix,
accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and the area under the ROC curve in a
test sample.
The results reveal that lower SMILE scores are associated with positive screening of
depression/anxiety in higher education students, despite the reliability appears insufficient to
confidently recommend its use for screening depression and/or anxiety disorders. However,
it enables the characterization of students’ lifestyles, the assessment of their well-being
levels, and, consequently, the identification of potential mental health issues.
Description
Keywords
Ansiedade Classificação Depressão Estudantes do ensino superior Bemestar Validação de inquérito