Predictors of the Quality of Life of University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Quality of life (QOL) is a complex and multifaceted concept that has been used to study different aspects of people’s lives, including physical and psychological wellbeing, financial independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and living situation. In this study, we aimed to assess the QOL of a group of Spanish university students and identify associated factors. Method: We completed a cross-sectional study of the QOL of 868 university students using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. In addition, data regarding sociodemographic information and self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire—Short version), diet (Spanish Index of Healthy Eating), alcohol consumption (CAGE questionnaire) and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were collected. Results: A total of 66.2% of participants assessed their QOL positively, while 58.8% favorably evaluated their overall health. Students reported the highest scores for the physical health domain of QOL, whereas they gave the lowest scores for the psychological health domain. Age was inversely associated with QOL. Higher self-esteem and satisfaction with academic performance, as well as sleep and diet quality, were directly associated with higher QOL. The physical health domain of QOL was scored more highly by participants who had a healthy body weight or those who reported moderate levels of physical activity. Higher scores in the social relationships domain of QOL were directly linked to alcohol intake, smoking and low body weight in addition to being inversely associated with screen time. The psychological domain of QOL was lower for those who were overweight or lived alone. Conclusion: Many sociodemographic, academic and behavioral variables are associated with university students’ QOL. The present findings underscore the need to direct further initiatives toward identifying and overcoming barriers to increased QOL for university students.