Psychological dynamics of pandemic resilience: a tale of two cultures

Exploring the longitudinal impacts of academic stress and lifestyle factors among Chinese students

Background

Several cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations have demonstrated a robust association between academic stress, physical activity, mental health history, and time management skills. However, the existing literature exhibits inconsistencies in the relationship between academic stress and its predictive effects on physical activity and mental health history. In addition, there is a scarcity of scholarly research that concentrates on the significance of time management skills within this particular context. Furthermore, limited research has investigated these variables' longitudinal associations and causal pathways. Therefore, the present research explores the longitudinal relationships among academic stress, physical activity, mental health history, and time management skills among university students.

Methods

The data were gathered from Wuhan University, China, employing a two-wave longitudinal survey methodology with an annual interval. A cohort of 980 university-level students engaged in the completion of questionnaires, which encompassed measures of academic stress via the Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents (ESSA), physical activity ascertained through Cho's five-item questionnaire, mental health history assessed by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and time management skills evaluated using the Time Management Behaviour Scale (TMBS). Subsequently, a cross-lagged path model was utilised to examine the prospective associations among these constructs.

Results

The outcomes of the cross-lagged path analysis indicated the presence of significant bidirectional relationships between academic stress and physical activity, mental health history, and time management skills. In addition, bidirectional interconnections existed between physical activity and mental health history. Furthermore, unilateral correlations were detected between physical activity and time management skills.

Conclusions

These findings underscore the importance of an integrated approach to student health initiatives and highlight the need for comprehensive support systems that address student well-being's psychological and physical aspects.

Do changes in eating behaviors signal rising mental health concerns among Saudi high schoolers?

BACKGROUND

Deteriorated eating attitudes have emerged as a prominent psychiatric illness with increasing prevalence in industrialized societies. This research endeavors to investigate the relationships between deteriorated eating patterns and mental health among Saudi high school students after the COVID-19 outbreak.

METHODS

A sample of 2817 students from two high schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, completed a questionnaire about their demographic characteristics and symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), and deteriorated eating patterns (Eating Attitudes Test 26) via convenience sampling technique. Multiple regression analysis was carried out to predict the potential associations between deteriorated eating patterns and levels of anxiety and depression among the study participants.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrated a moderate and statistically significant correlation between deteriorated eating patterns and levels of anxiety and depression among the participants in the study. In evaluating the three dimensions of deteriorated eating patterns through regression analysis, it is observed that dieting (anxiety: β = 0.275, depression: β = 0.287) exhibits the highest potential in predicting the levels of anxiety and depression, followed by oral control (anxiety: β = 0.240, depression: β = 0.232) and bulimia & food preoccupation (anxiety: β = 0.218, depression: β = 0.186).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the necessity to place additional emphasis on students displaying deteriorated eating patterns and symptoms, as these individuals may potentially be experiencing accompanying mental health concerns warranting further assessment.

Sequential mediation analysis of physical activity, healthy diet, BMI, and academic burnout in the Pakistani educational landscape

Research has indicated a negative impact of physical activity on academic burnout among students, however, there is a paucity of evidence about the underlying mechanism of this association in Pakistani students. The present research seeks to investigate the relationship between physical activity and academic burnout by investigating the potential mediating effects of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and body mass index (BMI). A sample of 596 students using a cross-sectional survey design was gathered from two public universities (Riphah International University and Mohammed Ali Jinnah University) in Rawalpindi, Pakistan from June to July 2022. The study participants were asked to fill out the Physical Activity Rating Scale-3, the Learning Burnout Scale, and the Test of Adherence to MD questionnaires. The study employed descriptive, bivariate, and path analysis through regression utilizing the SPSS software version 27. The findings demonstrated a negative correlation between academic burnout and BMI, physical activity, and adherence to the MD. The relationship between physical activity and academic burnout was mediated by BMI. Physical activity and academic burnout were inversely correlated, with adherence to the MD and BMI interacting as sequential mediators. The outcomes of this research have expanded our knowledge of the association between physical activity and academic burnout and have suggested crucial and appropriate strategies for addressing student academic burnout.