Brazilian University Students Research Articles

Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation in Brazilian University Students: A Mixed Methods Study

Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation in Brazilian University Students: A Mixed Methods Study

Intuitive eating in the COVID-19 era: a study with university students in Brazil

BackgroundThe recurrence of weight gain is attributed to the homeostatic regulation of hunger and satiety signals, influenced by metabolic state, nutrient availability, and non-homeostatic mechanisms shaped by reinforced consequences from experiences. In response, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch proposed Intuitive Eating (IE) in 1980, countering restrictive diets. IE, inversely correlated with Body Mass Index (BMI), binge eating, and anxiety/depression symptoms, fosters mind–body-food harmony by recognizing hunger and satiety cues. IE encourages meeting physiological, not emotional, needs, permitting unconditional eating, and relying on internal signals for food decisions. Amidst university students’ stress, exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding their eating behavior, particularly intuitive eating levels, becomes crucial.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the IE level of Brazilian students during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis cross-sectional study, the first to analyze the Intuitive Eating of students in Brazil during the pandemic, was conducted using an online questionnaire.ResultsThe sample comprised 1335 students, most of whom were women (82.17%), with a mean age of 26.12 ± 7.9 years, and a healthy nutritional status (57.58%). The mean IE score was 3.2 ± 0.6. A significant association was found between the confinement situation, the type of housing unit, and the IE subscale-Unconditional Permission to Eat (p = 0.043). However, there was no association between the other subscales and the total IE scale. Regarding self-reported mental and eating disorders, the most frequent were anxiety (21.2%), depression (6.5%), and binge eating disorder (BED) (4.7%). IE was negatively associated with BED (B = − 0.66; p < .001), bulimia nervosa (B = − 0.58; p < .001), body mass index (BMI) (p < .001) and self-reported anxiety (B = − .102; p = 0.16). The male sex showed a higher IE score compared with the female sex (p < .001).ConclusionWhile no significant association was found between IE and the confinement situation, a significant association was found between housing type and the Unconditional Permission to Eat subscale.

Reliability and validity of the online Pittsburgh sleep quality index in college students from low-income regions.

We aimed to test the reliability and structural validity (also called dimensionality) of the online Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index among college students from low-income regions. We assessed 195 Brazilian college students from a low-income region (Gini index of 0.56), of whom 117 were reassessed to evaluate the reliability. We collected all data in a self-reported online twice, 2-week apart. We evaluated reliability and structural validity. All questionnaire components showed reliability, correlation coefficient ≥0.49. In the structural validity, the confirmatory analysis showed better global model adjustment for the one-factor (RMSEA = 0.019; SRMR = 0.041; CFI = 0.992; TLI = 0.986) solution compared with two-factor (RMSEA = 0.099; SRMR = 0.070; CFI = 0.764; TLI = 0.619) and three-factor (RMSEA = 0.108; SRMR = 0.066; CFI = 0.763; TLI = 0.548) solutions, respectively. The online questionnaire presents acceptable reliability and structural validity in Brazilian low-income regions.

Lifestyle among Brazilian university students: A cross-sectional analysis according to the type of institution and area of study

Lifestyle among Brazilian university students: A cross-sectional analysis according to the type of institution and area of study

Associations Between Physical Activity, Depressive, and Anxiety Symptoms in Brazilian University Students

ABSTRACT Background Physical activity (PA) has been associated with decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety in the general population, but more consistent evidence is needed in the university population. Purpose Investigate the association between physical activity and depressive and anxiety symptoms in undergraduates. Methods 100 university students (23 ± 4 years, 47% female) were included in this cross-sectional study. We performed multiple linear regression analyses to investigate the association between the main variables. Results The physical activity (MET/min/week) had a significant association with depressive (F(2, 97) = 15.104, p < .001; adjusted R2 = .222) and anxiety symptoms (F(2, 97) = 11.853 p < .001; adjusted R2 = .180), explaining these outcomes in approximately 22% and 18%, respectively. Moderate or vigorous physical activity did not have an association with depressive (B = −0.10, t = −0.700, p = .486) or anxiety symptoms (B = −0.11, t = 0.725, p = .470). Discussion Individuals with high levels of physical activity have lower depressive and anxiety symptoms than individuals with lower levels of PA. Translation to Health Education Practice Increasing the level of physical activity may be a viable strategy to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in university students. A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI) http://portal.shapeamerica.org/trn-Webinars

Prevalence and Correlates of Health Risk Behaviors among University Students from a State in the Southern Region of Brazil.

Surveys conducted in different regions of the world show that the prevalence rates of health risk behaviors (HRBs) in university students are sometimes higher than those found in non-university populations. This study aims to identify the prevalence rates and demographic and academic environment correlates associated with HRBs among Brazilian university students. In a cross-sectional epidemiological study, a random sample of 5310 university students answered an online questionnaire, with demographic (sex, age, skin color, marital status, and paid work) and academic setting information (housing type, size of campus, year, and shift of study), as well as items clustered in four HRB domains: personal safety and violence, sexual behavior and contraception, addictive substance use, eating habits, physical activity, and sleep. The data were analyzed statistically using bivariate analysis and hierarchical multiple regression. The highest prevalence rates occurred in HRBs clustered in the domain of eating habits, physical activity, and sleep (>60%), while HRBs for personal security and violence were less prevalent (<15%). From 15% to 35% of university students assumed HRBs regarding addictive substance use, and approximately 50% reported risky sexual behavior. The university students most susceptible to HRBs were men, aged ≥ 22 years, living far from their family, studying on larger campuses, attending night classes, and with two or more years of study at the university. The findings suggest that policies and interventions in the university context aimed at students' readiness to engage in a healthy lifestyle should target specific correlates associated with HRBs.

Exploring the effects of COVID-19-related traumatic events on the mental health of university students in Brazil: A cross-sectional investigation

University students are vulnerable to mental health issues during their academic lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, university students faced mental distress due to lockdowns and the transition to e-learning. However, it is not known whether these students were also affected specifically by COVID-19-related traumatic events. This study examined the impact of COVID-19-related traumatic events on 2277 university students from two federal institutions of higher education in Brazil. The university students completed an online questionnaire covering demographics, lifestyle habits, health characteristics, COVID-19-related traumatic events, and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. The results showed that an increased intensity of COVID-19-related traumatic events was positively associated with stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, and each specific type of event was associated with these symptoms. In addition, we found a negative association between these symptoms and male sex and age and a positive association with having or having had a history of cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, or mental disorders or another disease diagnosed by a physician. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the heightened risk of mental health issues in university students in the face of COVID-19-related traumatic events. Women, young people and people who have or have had a history of disease were the most vulnerable to mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Booster effects and mechanisms of web-based personalised normative feedback alcohol intervention for college students: A pragmatic randomised controlled trial

BackgroundTo evaluate the effects of booster and no booster versions of web-based alcohol Personalised Normative Feedback (PNF) and whether descriptive norms mediated and/or participant motivation moderated the effectiveness of the intervention in real world conditions (i.e. no financial incentives). MethodsPragmatic randomised controlled trial with 1-, 3-, and 6-month assessments. Brazilian college students reporting alcohol use in the last 12 months (N=931) were recruited from May/2020 to December/2022 and allocated to 1) No booster/single PNF(S-PNF); 2) Booster/multiple PNF(M-PNF); or 3) Assessment-only control. We applied Helmert coding [1: Any intervention (S-PNF or M-PNF) vs. Control; and 2: S-PNF vs. M-PNF]. Primary outcomes: typical number of drinks/week and maximum number of drinks/week; secondary outcomes: drinking frequency and number of consequences. Three-months assessment was the primary interval. Descriptive norms were tested as mediator. Interest, importance, and readiness to change were examined as moderators. ResultsCompared to control, any intervention did not influence primary outcomes at 3-months or 6-months, but did at 1-month, when reduced typical drinking (IRR:0.77, 95%CI:0.66;0.90) and maximum number of drinks (IRR:0.69, 95%CI:0.58;0.82). There was an intervention effect on the consequences at 3-months. No differences were observed between S-PNF and M-PNF. No mediation effects were found at 3-months. At 6-months, there was an indirect effect on typical drinking through norms at 3-months (b=-0.82, 95%CI:-2.03;-0.12) and effects on maximum drinks through norms at 1-month (b=-0.54, 95%CI:-1.65;-0.02). No support for moderation was found. ConclusionsIntervention reduced alcohol drinking at 1 month only and was not effective thereafter. Mechanisms of effect remain unclear.

Compassionate Love for a Romantic Partner among Brazilian College Students

Compassionate love (CL) is a recent subject of close relationships. CL is focused on enlarging beneficence to another. The present study approaches the test of the psychometric characteristics of the shortened form of the Compassionate Love Scale for a partner (CLS-P-SF) for Brazilian college students and its relationships with background and well-being variables. The sample included 217 young adults, 46.1% women and 53.9% men. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the single latent factor of the CLS-P-SF is good and has satisfactory reliability. Subsequent analysis indicated that religious involvement and love status impacted the CLS-P-SF scores. CLS-P-SF scores were significantly related to the measurement of eros and agape love styles, commitment, life satisfaction, love satisfaction, and romantic loneliness. Satisfaction with love life mediated the relationship of CL for a partner and romantic loneliness. Current findings give an insight into the mechanism underlying the relation of CL with romantic loneliness.

(O-31) ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SEXUAL AGENCY AND SEXUAL SATISFACTION IN BRAZILIAN AND PORTUGUESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract Aim This study aimed to verify the association between sexual agency and sexual satisfaction in Portuguese and Brazilian university students. Method 322 university students, 161 Brazilian and 161 Portuguese, aged between 18 and 29, took part in this cross-sectional study by answering an online questionnaire. The measures used were a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Sexual Attitudes Scale, the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale and the Sexual Assertiveness Scale. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation. Ethical procedures were met. Results The measures of individual sexual satisfaction (BR 0.446/PT 0.499), relational sexual satisfaction and in sexual satisfaction of sexual activity (BR 0.375/PT 0.363), and total sexual satisfaction (BR 0.454/PT 0.458), showed significant (p&amp;lt;0.01) moderate positive associations with the dimension of sexual assertiveness initiation, related to sexual agency to initiate sexual relations and communicate desires to the partner in both groups. This is a finding that contradicts the rules associated with traditional sexual scripts, which advocate that women tend to behave passively in relation to their partner's desires. Conclusion The association between initiative and sexual satisfaction demonstrates the need to go against traditional sexual scripts, encouraging women to recognize and communicate their desires, and to validate the right to pleasure and sexual satisfaction. Expanding communication and listening to desires, opening up to different ways of giving and receiving physical pleasure, can increase the feeling of desire and the possibility of feeling desired, favoring the possibility of individual and shared pleasure and satisfaction. Financing No conflict.

Analysis of the Impact of Personalized Learning Paths in Mobile Learning Platforms on the Development of Self-Directed Learning Strategies Among Brazilian College Students

This paper investigates the impact of personalized mobile learning (m-learning) platforms on the development of self-directed learning (SDL) strategies among Brazilian college students. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study combines quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews to explore how personalized learning paths influence SDL skills such as goal-setting, time management, and reflective practice. The quantitative analysis reveals a significant positive correlation between the degree of personalization in m-learning experiences and enhancements in SDL competencies. Qualitative insights further elucidate students’ perceptions of personalized m-learning, highlighting increased motivation, engagement, and a sense of ownership over their learning processes. The research also delves into the challenges and opportunities presented by the Brazilian educational context, including infrastructural limitations and the digital divide. The findings underscore the potential of personalized m-learning platforms to foster learner autonomy and suggest implications for educators, policymakers, and educational technology developers. The study calls for further research on the longitudinal effects of personalized learning and the socio-economic factors affecting m-learning adoption and effectiveness.

Knowledge Level and Perceptions of Brazilian University Students about Bioeconomy

Through the creation of clean and innovative technologies, Bioeconomics is a means of achieving sustainability. For this to happen, it needs to be incorporated into concrete social actions, gaining knowledge and social acceptance. In this sense, the main purpose of this study was to analyze the understanding and level of knowledge of Brazilian university students about Bioeconomy, understanding their expectations and the factors that explain their attitudes towards it. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis with the help of IBM SPSS Statistics software version 28. The survey recorded 220 responses, identifying that 53.2% of the respondents were familiar with the term Bioeconomy and 47.2% had a level of knowledge classified as good or very good. In addition, a correlation was identified between the knowledge area and the place of residence of the students and their level of knowledge, with different motivations for supporting Bioeconomy, with economic motivations prevailing over socio-environmental ones. Also, it was found that the level of knowledge and support for Bioeconomy are directly correlated, so the greater the knowledge, the greater the support for it. More, even those students who don’t recognize the term Bioeconomy associate it with sustainability and the green economy. This study shows that there is a need to introduce topics related to Bioeconomy in universities and in Brazilians’ daily lives.

Levels of physical activity, physical and psychological well-being of university students, during the COVID-19 pandemic

The objective of the study was to evaluate the levels of physical activity practice and psychological well-being of university students, of both sexes, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We opted for the cross-sectional experimental design method, when addressing the variables of physical exercise, stress, depression and anxiety that were manipulated and combined to verify a greater change in the responses to be analyzed in the research proposal, that is, that greater levels of physical exercises would be related to minor negative symptoms in the sphere of mental health. The results showed that, according to the sample collected, the proposed relationship was not verified, since the prevalence rates of symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress showed normal rates, without scores that indicate significant severity in the health condition mental health, and thus not proving, in this study, that the time of weekly physical activity had a direct influence on the mental health of the evaluated individuals, either in the improvement or reduction of the negative symptoms. Thus, it was verified that the Brazilian university students of the respective sample, despite not having adequate levels of physical activity practice, presented mental health conditions with a low prevalence of negative symptoms related to the psychological profile, indicating, therefore, little significance regarding the study hypothesis that positive mental health indicators would be directly related to higher levels of physical activity. Key-words: Physical activity. University students. Anxiety. Depression. Mood states. Stress.

Sleep duration and quality during the COVID-19 pandemic and the association with physical activity and screen time among Brazilian college students.

As a result of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in sleep patterns have been observed in many countries, as well as changes in physical activity and screen time. The objective was to investigate sleep duration and quality during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with physical activity and screen time. Cross-sectional study with students from a University in Rio de Janeiro who answered an online questionnaire between August 2020 and March 2021. Physical activity was assessed using IPAQ-SF. Sleep was investigated based on questions about duration and sleep quality change, and screen time through self-reported questions. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to assess the association between physical activity and screen time with sleep duration and quality. Secondary analyses investigated the influence of the isolation time on this association. The confounding factors used were diagnosis of COVID-19, time of isolation, anxiety, depression, skin color, and gender. A total of 771 college students with a mean age of 24.5 years (±8.6) answered the questionnaire. About 75% reported more than 8 h of screen time per day and 49.8% were physically inactive. Regarding sleep, 54.9% had worsening sleep, while 40.6% had inadequate sleep duration during the pandemic. Physical activity was associated with improved sleep quality (Odds ratio (OR) 1.72; confidence interval (95% CI) 1.05-2.97). Also, physically active students who spent more than 14 weeks in social isolation demonstrated improved sleep quality (OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.02-3.78) compared to physically inactive individuals. No association was observed for sleep duration. No association was observed between screen time and sleep quality, or sleep duration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was considerable worsening of sleep quality, and physical activity was positively associated with improved sleep quality.

A pilot study of a new app based on self-compassion for the prevention and promotion of mental health among Brazilian college students.

Epidemiological data suggest substantial issues on the mental health of university students worldwide. Self-compassion is associated with lower rates of psychological distress and better positive mental health. Thus, we have developed a app-based intervention based on self-compassion principles targeting the prevention and promotion of mental health in college students. The current pilot study assessed adherence to intervention, preliminary mental health benefits, and satisfaction and acceptability with the app among Brazilian college students. The study employed a pre-experimental single-group design along with pre-test and post-test assessments (n = 23). A mixed methods approach was utilized to comprehensively assess the outcomes of the intervention. The overall adherence rate for the intervention was 37.87%, with 26.26% of participants successfully completing all modules. Among the 21 outcomes assessed, 15 exhibited statistically significant results. Notably, there was a substantial increase in self-compassion, demonstrating a large effect size (d = 1.15), and a moderate effect size reduction in stress (d = 0.62) and anxiety (d = 0.52). All satisfaction indicators for the intervention received scores above 7. The intervention was well-received by participants who completed it, although a potential barrier identified was the volume of text within the app and the need to adopt a more playful and concise format for the intervention. Despite a notable participant dropout, the adherence to intervention aligns with patterns observed in other online interventions conducted in real-world settings. The observed mental health benefits, high satisfaction levels, and positive acceptance underscore the rationale for pursuing a subsequent randomized clinical trial.

Lexical quality measures in the assessment of reading proficiency in Brazilian university students

RESUMO Objetivos: comparar o desempenho de alunos universitários brasileiros a partir de tarefas com habilidades de qualidade lexical e avaliar a influência do nível socioeconômico no desempenho da leitura e nos componentes que formam a qualidade lexical. Métodos: testes linguísticos on-line foram aplicados em 44 estudantes de duas universidades federais, sendo 19 da Universidade Federal do ABC e 25 da Universidade Federal do Ceará. Para análise foram utilizados os testes Mann-Whitney (Wilcoxon rank-sum test) de duas vias e a Correlação de Pearson com p&lt;0,05. Resultados: foram obtidas correlações altas e médias entre os diferentes componentes da qualidade lexical, tais como vocabulário e reconhecimento ortográfico, além de terem sido encontradas diferenças significativas entre o desempenho dos alunos das duas universidades e de diferentes níveis socioeconômicos. Conclusão: menor tempo de leitura apresentou correlação com maior quantidade de acertos na leitura de palavras em voz alta, a quantidade de acertos no teste de homônimos correlacionou-se a quantidade de acertos no teste de leitura de palavras em voz alta e ambas correlacionaram-se com o tempo de resposta destes testes. Houve, também, influência do nível socioeconômico no desempenho da leitura e nos componentes que formam a qualidade lexical.

Prevalence, co-occurrence, and associated factors of intimate partner violence among Brazilian university students.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) among youth is a public health problem worldwide because of its high prevalence and lifelong serious consequences in health and quality of life. This cross-sectional census aimed to describe the IPV victimization among all freshman students in a Brazilian university (n=1,509), which was selected from a larger population of 2,706 freshmen. We created a 10-item questionnaire inspired by established instruments to measure the prevalence of IPV. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the association between demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors with various types of IPV. We visualized co-occurrence using a Venn diagram and employed multinomial logistic regression to examine the relationship between covariates and the cooccurrence of IPV types. The chance of IPV was higher in males, those who were currently in a relationship, and those with a higher risk of alcohol abuse. These same characteristics were also associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing the co-occurrence of two or more types of IPV. Prevention strategies should consider those groups and monitoring of those who abuse alcohol, which can be a predictor behavior or a mechanism to deal with the stress arising from IPV.

Prevalence and Associated Factors to Non-Carious Cervical Lesions in Brazilian University Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Prevalence and Associated Factors to Non-Carious Cervical Lesions in Brazilian University Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Cooperative learning scale: validation among Portuguese and Brazilian university students

RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi adaptar e validar a versão espanhola da Escala de Aprendizagem Cooperativa (EAC) para estudantes portugueses e brasileiros do ensino superior. Participaram no estudo 493 estudantes do Ensino Superior com idades entre 17 e 45 anos de uma universidade do norte de Portugal e 414 estudantes universitários brasileiros com idades entre 14 e 52 anos de universidades do Brasil. Para a adaptação, o instrumento original, desenhado e validado para contextos espanhóis para alunos do 3.º ciclo dos Ensinos Básico e Secundário, passou por várias fases: a) avaliação por especialistas; b) estudo piloto; c) análise fatorial confirmatória; e d) determinação da validade convergente e divergente. A versão portuguesa e a brasileira da EAC apresentam um bom modelo de ajustamento e incluem cinco fatores com três itens cada: interdependência positiva, competências interpessoais, interação estimuladora, responsabilidade individual e de grupo e processo de grupo.

The mediating role of social media addiction and sleep quality in the association between social media usage and depressive symptoms in university students

Increase in time spent on social media and its association with depressive symptoms, especially among young adults, has generated the need to understand how this association occurs in order to support the development of policies to reduce harm and complications. In view of this fact, this study aimed to assess the mediating effect of social media addiction and sleep quality on the association between time spent on social media and depressive symptoms in Brazilian university students. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 2,823 university students, who provided information regarding time spent on social media, social media addiction, depressive symptoms and sleep quality. The mediation analysis, adjusted for confounding factors, was performed using the PROCESS macro for SPSS to obtain the total (c), direct (c'), and indirect effects (EI1, EI2, and EI3). The results identified an association between time spent on social media and depressive symptoms, mediated by social media addiction (EI1 = 20%) and sleep quality (EI1 = 40%). These findings help expand knowledge about the mechanisms that mutually influence the relationship between time spent on social media and depressive symptoms, supporting the adoption of strategies to reduce harm resulting from excessive social media use.