Associations between youth lifestyle habits, sociodemographic characteristics, and health status with positive mental health: A gender-based analysis in a sample of Canadian postsecondary students

Abstract

Objective

This study aims to estimate associations between lifestyle habits, sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and positive mental health (i.e., flourishing, languishing, moderate) and anxiety and depression symptoms in postsecondary students.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used a convenience sample of 2165 Canadian first-semester postsecondary students (59 % female, 41 % men). Participants reported positive mental health using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form and completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to screen for probable cases of anxiety and depression in the Fall of 2023. Participants reported lifestyle habits including recreational screen time (hours/day), physical activity (minutes/week), in-person social interaction (frequency/week), and homework (hours/week). Participants reported age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and health status (presence of a disability or health problem).

Results

Women's weekend screen time was associated with an 11 % reduction in the odds of experiencing flourishing mental health (odds ratio [OR]: 0.89, 95 % CI, 0.83–0.95), and never engaging in in-person socializing increased the odds of women experiencing languishing mental health (OR: 3.80, 95 % CI, 1.45–9.96). More frequent engagement in physical activity and homework were each associated with an increased odds of men experiencing flourishing mental health (OR: 1.00, 95 % CI, 1.00–1.00; OR: 1.03, 95 % CI, 1.00–1.05).

Conclusions

These findings highlight modifiable lifestyle habits including screen time, physical activity, in-person socializing, and homework which can be leveraged for mental health promotion among postsecondary students.