Mental wellbeing and engagement in health risk behaviours in German university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings of a cross-sectional study

Background Daily life of higher education students across the world changed profoundly in 2020 with the implementation of governmental and institutional measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated mental wellbeing and engagement in health risk behaviours (HRB) in German university stu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of public health 2021-10, Vol.31 (Supplement_3)
Main Authors: Busse, H, Fialho, P M, Stock, C, Pischke, CR, Buck, C, Spatafora, F, Kühne, L, Zeeb, H, Wendt, C, Helmer, SM
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcohol
Alcohol use
Alcoholic beverages
Binge drinking
Cannabis
College students
Colleges & universities
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Cross-sectional studies
Data collection
Drinking behavior
Drug use
Education
Epidemiology
Everyday life
Exercise
Health education
Health risk assessment
Health risks
Higher education
Marijuana
Mental depression
Pandemics
Physical activity
Physical fitness
Polls & surveys
Public health
Regression analysis
Risk behavior
Risk taking
Smoking
Students
Substance use
Tobacco
University students
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Summary:Background Daily life of higher education students across the world changed profoundly in 2020 with the implementation of governmental and institutional measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated mental wellbeing and engagement in health risk behaviours (HRB) in German university students at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Data stem from the COVID-19 International Student Wellbeing Study (C19 ISWS). The web-based survey was conducted in May 2020 at four German universities. HRBs included tobacco and cannabis use, alcohol consumption, and engagement in physical activity. All HRBs were assessed retrospectively and at the time of data collection. Mental wellbeing was assessed using the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D 8). We conducted multinomial regression analyses to investigate factors associated with changes in HRBs and latent transition analysis to identify substance use profiles. Results 5021 students completed the survey (69% female; mean age 24.4 years, SD = 5.1). The mean score for depressive symptoms was 9.25 (SD = 0.67, range 0-24). Sixty-one percent of students reported consuming alcohol, 46% binge drinking, 44% inactivity, 19% smoking and 11% cannabis use. While smoking and cannabis use remained unchanged during the COVID-19 pandemic, 24% reported a decrease in binge drinking. Changes to physical activity were frequently reported, with 31% reporting an increase and 19% reporting a decrease in vigorous physical activity. Higher depressive symptoms were found to be associated with changes in HRBs. Five substance use behaviour profiles were identified, which remained fairly unchanged. Conclusions Engagement in HRBs remains at high level during the COVID-19 pandemic among German students. Depressive symptoms were found to be associated with changes in HRBs. Efforts to promote student health and wellbeing are needed in times of the COVID-19 pandemic and thereafter to prevent longer-term consequences.
ISSN:1101-1262
1464-360X
DOI:10.1093/eurpub/ckab164.182