Cigarettes and Self-Rated Health Among Online University Students

Background: Online education became mandatory for many students during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and blurred the distinction between settings where processes of stress and restoration used to take place. The lockdown also likely changed perceptions of the indoor acoustic environment (i.e., soundscape) and raised its importance. In the present study, we seek to understand how indoor soundscape related to university students’ self-rated health in Bulgaria around the time that the country was under a state of emergency declaration caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Between 17 May and 10 June 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey among 323 students (median age 21 years; 31% male) from two universities in the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Self-rated health (SRH) was measured with a single-item. Participants were asked how frequently they heard different types of sounds while at home and how pleasant they considered each of those sounds to be. Restorative quality of the home (the “being away” dimension of the Perceived Restorativeness Scale) was measured with a single-item. A priori confounders and effect modifiers included sociodemographics, house-related characteristics, general sensitivity to environmental influences, and mental health. Our analysis strategy involved sequential exploratory factor analysis (EFA), multivariate linear and ordinal regressions, effect modification tests, and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: EFA supported grouping perceived sounds into three distinct factors—mechanical, human, and nature sounds. Regression analyses revealed that greater exposure to mechanical sounds was consistently associated with worse SRH, whereas no significant associations were found for human and nature sounds. In SEM, exposure to mechanical sounds related to lower restorative quality of the home, and then to poorer SRH, whereas nature sounds correlated with higher restorative quality, and in turn with better SRH. Conclusions: These findings suggest a role of positive indoor soundscape and restorative quality for promoting self-rated health in times of social distancing.

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Factors predicting online university students’ use of a mobile learning management system (m-LMS)

Educational Technology Research and Development ◽

10.1007/s11423-016-9436-7 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 611-630 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Young Ju Joo ◽

Nari Kim ◽

Nam Hee Kim

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Mobile Learning ◽

Management System ◽

Learning Management System ◽

Learning Management ◽

Online University Students

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Sleep duration and self-rated health in Chinese university students

Sleep And Breathing ◽

10.1007/s11325-019-01856-w ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 1351-1356 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lu Li ◽

Ka-In Lok ◽

Song-Li Mei ◽

Xi-Ling Cui ◽

Lin Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Sleep Duration ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Chinese University ◽

Chinese University Students

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Associations of university student life challenges with mental health and self-rated health

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckab164.606 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽

Author(s):

F Porru ◽

S Schuring ◽

U Bültmann ◽

I Portoghese ◽

A Burdorf ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

University Students ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Short Form ◽

Student Life ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Life Challenges ◽

High Workload ◽

Sf36 Score

Abstract Background Mental health problems are highly prevalent among university students. Stress due to student life challenges may be a risk factor for poorer health. This study investigates to what extent student life challenges and changes therein are associated with mental health and self-rated health. Methods In a longitudinal study with 568 Italian university students mental health was assessed using the Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5) and self-rated health with a single item from the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF36) (score ranges: 0-100) at baseline and at six months follow-up. Student life challenges were investigated using six subscales (score ranges: 1-4) of the Higher Education Stress Inventory (HESI). A between-within linear regression model was used to investigate whether a higher exposure to life challenges was associated with poorer health (between individuals) and whether changes in student life challenges were associated with changes in health (within individuals). Results Higher exposure to student life challenges was associated with poorer mental health (b ranging from -5.3 to -10.3) and self-rated health (b ranging from -3.1 to -9.6). An increase in student life challenges within individuals was associated with poorer mental health and self-rated health, in particular for high workload (b up to -5.9), faculty shortcomings (b up to -5.7), and unsupportive climate (b up to -5.6). Discussion Exposure to student life challenges and changes therein are associated with university students' health. Our findings suggest that student life challenges may be a target for interventions to improve mental health and self-rated health among university students. Key messages Mental health and self-rated health differ between students and change within-them. Higher exposure to student life challenges is associated with poorer health, and an increase in student life challenges is associated with a decrease in health.

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The relationship between academic integrity of online university students and its effects on academic performance and learning quality

Journal of Ethics in Entrepreneurship and Technology ◽

10.1108/jeet-02-2021-0009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Majda I. Ayoub/Al-Salim ◽

Khaled Aladwan

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

University Students ◽

Academic Integrity ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Online Classes ◽

Ethical Values ◽

Content Type ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Online University Students ◽

The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the relationship between academic integrity of online university students and its effects on academic performance and learning quality. The first hypothesis aimed to see if there is statistically significant relationship between academic honesty of students taking online classes and their apparent academic performance. The second hypothesis aimed to see if there is a statistically significant difference in academic integrity among male and female students. The third hypothesis aimed to see if there was a statistically significant relationship between academic honesty of students and their quality of learning. Design/methodology/approach This is a quantitative study; data was collected via student emails from 155 active online university students. Findings There was a positive linear relationship for the first hypothesis, the relationship is relatively weak as the value of Pearson correlation was (0.172). For the second hypothesis, the results showed that there was no significant difference between males and females. The results for the third hypothesis showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between academic integrity of students taking online classes and academic learning quality. This relationship is relatively strong. Research limitations/implications The sample size may have been a limitation for generalizing the results. Practical implications As a practical implication, authors recommend that education administrators focus on training their faculty members to stress and instill strong ethical values, such as academic integrity and honesty, in their students all throughout their academic journey. Social implications As for social implication, the embracing of ethical values in students, graduates may continue to embrace such values in the workplace which may lead to more reputable and profitable work environment where the society at large benefits. Originality/value This research is among the pioneers that attempted to study the connection of academic integrity and learning quality from the students’ perspective.

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The Association between Depressive Symptoms and Self-Rated Health among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in France and Japan

10.21203/rs.3.rs-29171/v4 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mami Ishida ◽

Ilaria Montagni ◽

Keiichi Matsuzaki ◽

Tomonari Shimamoto ◽

Tanguy Cariou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

University Students ◽

Depressive Disorders ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health State ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Self Rated Health

Abstract Background: Depressive disorders in University students have risen dramatically in the past few decades to the extent that students’ mental health has become a current global public health priority. Obtaining information from University students about their mental health is challenging because of potential embarrassment of disclosing one’s concerns and fear of stigmatization. Self-rated health might be a good solution to evaluate mental health state by a simple and neutral indicator. The aim of the study is to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and self-rated health by sex among University students in France and Japan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by using two large cohorts of students aged ≥18 years (n=5,655 in Bordeaux, France and n=17,148 in Kyoto, Japan). Depressive symptoms (PHQ-2 scale), Likert scale of self-rated health, socio-demographic characteristics and health habits were collected through self-administered questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed to describe the association between depressive symptoms and other variables including self-rated health, stratified by sex. Results: A high score of PHQ-2 (high depressive symptoms) was associated with poor self-rated health in both cohorts independently of all other variables (OR 2.82, 95%CI 1.99-4.01 in France, OR 7.10, 95%CI 5.76-8.74 in Japan). Although the prevalence of depressive symptoms between sexes was different in French students (males 15.4%, females 25.0%, p<0.001), it was similar in Japanese students (males 3.5%, females 3.3%, p=0.466), who reported less depressive symptoms than French students. The association between depressive symptoms and poor self-rated health was greater in Japanese females (OR 12.40, 95%CI 7.74-20.00) than in males (OR 6.30, 95%CI 4.99-7.95), whereas the strength of the association was almost similar in French students (OR 2.17, 95%CI 0.86-5.47 in males, OR 2.98, 95%CI 2.03-4.38 in females). Conclusions: Depressive symptoms were associated with self-rated health among University students in both countries with slightly differences in sex. Self-rated health would be a simple, reliable and universal indicator for healthcare professionals and University staff to identify students at risk of depression.

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Online University Students’ Perceptions on the Awareness of, Reasons for, and Solutions to Plagiarism in Higher Education: The Development of the AS&P Model to Combat Plagiarism

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app112412055 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (24) ◽

pp. 12055

Author(s):

Muhammad Abid Malik ◽

Ameema Mahroof ◽

Muhammad Azeem Ashraf

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

University Students ◽

Time Management ◽

Higher Education Institutions ◽

Educational Institution ◽

Course Content ◽

Prevention Model ◽

Online University Students ◽

Teaching Learning ◽

Academic Plagiarism

Academic plagiarism has remained a major concern for higher education institutions, as it hampers not only the quality of the teaching-learning process and research, but also the overall educational institution. This issue appears to be even more serious in online and distance education institutions. As a result, a qualitative study was conducted on an online university in Pakistan to investigate the determinants of academic plagiarism and to find ways to address this issue. The students were given an open-ended questionnaire to reflect their opinions on the awareness and understanding of plagiarism, its determinants, and ways to address it. The findings revealed that most of the 267 online university students had a poor awareness and understanding of plagiarism. Major reasons for students’ plagiarism turned out to be a lack of a proactive approach to create awareness, an omission of citation conventions from course content, untrained teachers, a lack of strict penalties and their proper implementation, poor time management, a fear of failure, a lack of confidence, laziness, and a culture of plagiarism. The study proposes the Awareness, Support, and Prevention model (AS&P model) to address this issue in higher education institutions.

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