University Students In Greece Research Articles

Gen Z's Willingness to Adopt Plant-Based Diets: Empirical Evidence from Greece, India, and the UK.

Comprising the largest population cohort on this planet, Gen Z presents a future-oriented consumer segment driven by climate change and food. This study sought to investigate Gen Z's perceptions toward plant-based foods and diets and explore the relationship that attitude components, meal preparation involvement, personal and lifestyle factors, and perceived barriers in adopting a plant-based diet have with willingness to adopt green-eating practices. Using cross-sectional data from university students in Greece, India, and the UK, various tools were employed to determine the factors influencing youths' consumer behavior toward animal-protein substitutes. PCA indicated the underlying dimensions of students' viewpoints on plant-based foods, whereas hierarchical and k-means clustering provided the cluster structure. An ordered probit model was estimated to delineate Gen Z's willingness to adopt plant-based diets and distinguish among mostly unwilling, somewhat willing, and mostly willing youths. Our findings identified two consumer segments, namely proponents and opponents of plant-based foods and diets, with statistically significant differences in the perceived health benefits of plant-based diets, attachment to animal-based proteins, perceived exclusion of animal-based foods, dissatisfaction with plant-based foods' attributes, and demand for ensuring adequate protein intake. The ordered probit model estimates showed that there is a "homogeneity" in the factors influencing youths' intention to adopt plant-based diets, with attitude components, meal preparation indicators, perceived barriers to eating "green", and personal factors, such as self-assessed knowledge of healthy eating and physical activity, being strongly associated with students' willingness to switch to plant-based diets in all three countries. Mapping potential obstacles and enablers in terms of shifting to more green-eating behaviors, our findings could add information to better understand the factors affecting food choice and youths' transition to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Digital health literacy and information-seeking on the internet in relation to COVID-19 among university students in Greece

BackgroundCOVID-19 is the first pandemic in history in which technology and social media are being used for people to be informed and be safe. Thus, digital health literacy skills affect the way people will protect and promote their health. MethodsA cross-sectional web-based study was conducted with a convenience sample among university students (N=604) from one of the Universities located in Attica (Greece) during May - June 2020. The COVID-HL university students survey questionnaire was used for collecting the data. ResultsIn regards to information search, 28 % of the university students indicated that they found it very difficult/difficult to find the exact information they were looking for and 20.4 % to make a choice from all the information they found. Additionally, 45.1 % of the participants found it very difficult/difficult to decide whether the information retrieved via online search is reliable or not. ConclusionThe results indicate a need for the promotion of digital health literacy among university students and therefore, health education interventions need to optimize students’ seeking skills and critical thinking. Health educators should consider the results of this study and involve the university students in any intervention they plan in order to address the students’ specific needs. It is also suggested that these health education interventions should be integrated throughout all academic activities.

Blended Learning in a Higher Education Context: Exploring University Students’ Learning Behavior

Blended learning is a growing phenomenon in higher education after the COVID-19 pandemic (the educational process moved entirely online), and the way is prepared for blended education mode in universities. Although blended learning research is on the rise, fewer studies regard university students’ learning behavior in blended learning environments. This study aims to investigate university students’ blended learning behavior perceptions shortly after the pandemic. A 19-item questionnaire was administered to 176 university students in Greece. Students, in general, expressed positive blended learning behavior perceptions. Higher percentages of agreement were associated with the role of audio-visual online resources in facilitating and supporting independent learning and with student motivation in blended education. Students expressed lower percentages of agreement, and some uncertainty, with regard to involvement in small group work with their peers. Implications for students, educators, as well as university policy and practice are discussed.

Studying the Impacts of Covid-19 on University Students in Greece: Some Empirical Evidence

Covid-19 has changed in many aspects the lives of everyone. This extraordinary situation had not only financially but also socially, affected people from all over the world including the university students. The aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of Covid-19 on the university students in Greece. A questionnaire was distributed via Google Forms from 15 to 31 December 2021 on undergraduate students at the University of Thessaly, consisted of 30 questions that they had been allocated in five segments. The results indicated that, most of the university students who had been participated in this research where from Volos, taking part almost in every online lecture and during the pandemic crisis, a significant amount of them had not obtained any sickly habit or developed any psychiatric disorder. Apart from that, it has been spotted that quarantine had a severe impact on the relationship with friends.

Co-occurence of risky driving behaviours and associations with seatbelt and helmet use - a descriptive cross-sectional study among young adults


 Background: Greece exhibits one of the highest rates of deaths and injuries due to motor vehicle crashes in young adults in Europe. The personal, social and financial cost is still very high as road traffic crashes account for 65.8% of all deaths among young people aged 10-24 years, with prominent gender differences that are not fully explained yet. 
 Methods: using a descriptive cross-sectional study design, we examined the associations of seatbelt and helmet use with the likelihood of manifesting multiple driving violations (fail to stop at STOP signs, running red traffic lights, driving towards the wrong direction, illegal overtaking, speeding, cellphone use while driving, driving under the influence of alcohol) in a sample of 536 1st year university students in Greece. A ‘Risky Driving Index’ score (RDI) was produced by summing the frequencies of all behaviours (range 0-28). 
 Results: only 8.8% of the students reported not performing any of the driving violations, whereas 8.6% engaged in all 7 of them when driving (male: 11.5%; female: 1.9%; score>8, male: 31.7%; female: 8.1%). Male, but not female participants, who never used seatbelts and helmets, reported significantly higher RDI scores with evidence of a dose-response effect in the increase. In adjusted logistic regression models, those who never used (vs regular use) seat belt ‘as drivers’ and ‘as rear seat passengers’ had increased odds of being in the higher score category of RDI (OR=5.239 95%CI=1.280-21.441 and OR=6.782 95%CI=1.891-24.324, respectively). 
 Conclusion: young male drivers and riders, but not their female counterparts, that do not take typical safety measures (seatbelt and helmet use), reported more illegal and risky driving behaviours. Preventive interventions using a gender-informed approach are needed to address co-occurring risk driving behaviours. 
 

The Role of Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Frequency of Use in University Students’ Digital Skills Components

The literature provides rich evidence on students’ levels of digital skills as well as on their frequency of Internet and social media use. Several studies have examined the relationships between social media use and academic achievement. However, there are not any studies investigating the relationships between social media use and digital skills of higher education students. To fill this research gap, this study examines the links between the frequency of social media use and students’ digital skills. The survey was conducted with 155 university students in Greece. The instrument on six digital skills components was evaluated in terms of reliability and consistency. The research findings reveal a strong positive association between the use of YouTube and students’ digital skills on content evaluation and protection. Age and educational level differences were noted in several digital skills components, whereas age and gender were related to the frequency of Instagram use. The main conclusion is that the generic use of Facebook and Instagram does not affect students’ digital skills. However, combined literature evidence implies that when social media are used for educational purposes, they might influence students’ perceived levels of digital skills. Implications and limitations are discussed in the study.

Anxiety and depression among students in a greek university amidst COVID-19 pandemic

IntroductionThe coronavirus pandemic has challenged the world with an unprecedented situation. Social distancing, self or quarantine isolation, personal hand hygiene, self-protection, and the fear of becoming infected with the virus, come with a psychological fallout. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected students around the world, in terms of their education and lifestyle.ObjectivesTo investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the students’ mental health and well-being at the University of Patras, in Western Greece.MethodsAn online questionnaire was prepared to collect responses from students during April 2020. Socio-demographic data, academic status, opinions about distance learning, changes in daily routine during the lockdown and anxiety and depression scores, according to the Greek version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), were gathered.ResultsThe total number of responders was 2009, of which 67.3% women. During lockdown, the 68% of the students returned to their family home. Anxiety and depression scores were higher in students with a low income, poor self-rated health, not informed about COVID-19, not satisfied with distance learning and being annoyed at staying home. Prevalence of anxiety and depression was found to be 35.8% and 51.2%, ranging from 26.7% to 48.2% for anxiety and from 36.3% to 60.5% for depression in Health Sciences and Humanities and Social Sciences, respectively.ConclusionsDepression rates among university students in Greece were alarmingly high, denoting the impact of lockdown and changes in students’ life, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

University students’ changes in mental health status and determinants of behavior during the COVID-19 lockdown in Greece

Introduction: The aim of the study was to investigate mental health in university students in Greece, during lockdown due to COVID-19. Material and Methods: The data were collected online and anonymously, during lockdown; they included 1104 females (aged 22.08±4,96) and 431 males (aged 22.35±3.11). The analysis included transformation of the data with post-stratification method, descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, Factorial Analysis of Variance and Relative Risk ratios Results: The results suggest that during, lockdown major depression was present in 12.43% with 13.46% experiencing severe distress. Risk factors were female sex, history of self-injury, suicidal attempts and following theoretical studies (RR=2–5.71). Conspiracy theories were accepted by 20–68%, with students of theoretical studies manifesting higher rates. Discussion: The results of the current study confirmed that students are at high risk to develop depression and suicidality in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak. They also identified specific risk factors and pointed to the role of believing in conspiracy theories in copying with stress. They also identified populations with higher prevalence of these beliefs. Further targeted research is necessary as well as targeted intervention in vulnerable groups but concerning mental health as well as the reduction of believing in conspiracy theories.

How do passenger and trip attributes affect walking distances to bus public transport stops? Evidence from university students in Greece

The spatial arrangement of public transport systems seriously affects their ridership and thus the fulfillment of sustainable transport goals. This paper examines the case of students at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and investigates their perceptions regarding a critical spatial attribute of public transport, that is, the walking distance they have to cover to/from bus stops when they commute by bus to their campus. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect relevant data from 300 students and a set of statistical inference methods was employed to explore whether student-specific attributes relate to the walking distances they consider to be acceptable. Empirical findings highlighted weak relationships between user/trip specific attributes with regard to students, and their walking distance preferences for the bus public transport services they use. The majority of students consider that the maximum acceptable walking distance can be higher than the standard value of 400 meters. Moreover, they would be willing to walk more than they currently do in order to reach a bus stop with higher service frequencies to their campus. The study concept and findings could assist in delivering a more successful spatial design of bus public transport systems which serve university campuses. A more sparsely positioned network of bus stops would provide better opportunities for personal physical activity but should not yield increased total travel times; and they should incorporate local user expectations. Public transport agencies could also benefit from achieving higher service speeds which, in turn, would reduce energy consumption and operating costs.

Financial literacy and financial well-being among generation-Z university students: Evidence from Greece

ABSTRACTFinancial knowledge has become an essential skill because of the instability of global markets, asymmetric information in those markets, increasing complexity of financial products, and the rapidly increasing growth in financial technology (Fintech). This study aims to be the first among its kind to evaluate the relation between financial literacy, financial fragility, and financial well-being in parallel with identifying their determinants. For this purpose, we design and distribute a questionnaire to a random sample of 456 university students in Greece. The university students represent Generation Z that experienced the effects of a unique in duration and consequences financial crisis. We analyze the data by using cross-tabulations, chi-square tests, logistic regressions, and a marginal effect analysis. The results show that male students, students who keep expense records, or their father is highly educated are more financially literate. We also examine the dimensions of financial fragility, and the results show that financially literate students are better able to cope with an unexpected financial shock. Thus, financial literacy can be a key driver of financial well-being among Greek university students. Furthermore, we discuss the likely policy prescriptions while accounting for related behavioral aspects and technological developments.

Alcohol Use and Mental Health Status Among University Students in Greece

Alcohol abuse is a common incident in college student’s communities. The purpose of this research study was to evaluate the rates of alcohol use among university students in Greece and to search if there is a relation between alcohol use disorders and mental health status (depression, anxiety, stress).

Understanding the role of personality traits on Facebook intensity

The present study aims to examine the influence of the five personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, openness and conscientiousness) on both Facebook usage and users' preferences for specific Facebook features. Hierarchical regression analysis was used for hypothesis testing. Survey data from 367 university students in Greece indicate that, agreeable individuals use Facebook to express their orientation to other people rather than to themselves. Extroverts use Facebook as a relationship building mechanism, whereas neurotics strive to bring out the best of themselves. Openness and conscientiousness do not seem to affect significantly Facebook use.

Understanding the role of personality traits on Facebook intensity

The present study aims to examine the influence of the five personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, openness and conscientiousness) on both Facebook usage and users' preferences for specific Facebook features. Hierarchical regression analysis was used for hypothesis testing. Survey data from 367 university students in Greece indicate that, agreeable individuals use Facebook to express their orientation to other people rather than to themselves. Extroverts use Facebook as a relationship building mechanism, whereas neurotics strive to bring out the best of themselves. Openness and conscientiousness do not seem to affect significantly Facebook use.

Characterization of meningococcal carriage isolates from Greece by whole genome sequencing: Implications for 4CMenB vaccine implementation.

Herd protection, resulting from the interruption of transmission and asymptomatic carriage, is an important element of the effectiveness of vaccines against the meningococcus. Whilst this has been well established for conjugate polysaccharide vaccines directed against the meningococcal capsule, two uncertainties surround the potential herd protection provided by the novel protein-based vaccines that are used in place of serogroup B (MenB) polysaccharide vaccines (i) the strain coverage of such vaccines against carried meningococci, which are highly diverse; and (ii) the generation of a protective immune response in the mucosa. These considerations are essential for realistic estimates of cost-effectiveness of new MenB vaccines. Here the first of these questions is addressed by the whole genome sequence (WGS) analysis of meningococci isolated from healthy military recruits and university students in Greece. The study included a total of 71 MenB isolates obtained from 1420 oropharyngeal single swab samples collected from military recruits and university students on voluntary basis, aged 18–26 years. In addition to WGS analysis to identify genetic lineage and vaccine antigen genes, including the Bexsero Antigen Sequence Type (BAST), the isolates were examined with the serological Meningococcal antigen Typing System (MATS) assay. Comparison of these data demonstrated that the carried meningococcal population was highly diverse with 38% of the carriage isolates showed expression of antigens matching those included in the 4CMenB vaccine. Our data may suggest a limited potential herd immunity to be expected and be driven by an impact on a subset of carriage isolates.

Food insecurity and Mediterranean diet adherence among Greek university students

AimTo assess Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence and food insecurity (FI) among university students in Greece. Methods and ResultsA non-probability sample of 236 students was recruited from Athens and Thessaloniki during 2016. FI was assessed with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale and MD adherence with the MEDAS questionnaire. Mean MEDAS score of the sample was 6.4 ± 1.9, with women demonstrating greater MD adherence compared to men (p = 0.016) and Dietetics students exhibiting increased score compared to the rest (p ≤ 0.001). A low proportion of participants were food-secure (17.8%), 45.3% were severely food-insecure, 22.0% experienced moderate FI and the remaining 14.8% had low FI. Participants studying in the city they grew up exhibited lower FI compared to those studying in other cities (p = 0.009), while, additionally, a trend was noted for increased FI among students with an unemployed family member (p = 0.05). Students working night shifts had lower MD adherence and increased FI compared to the rest (p = 0.004 and p = 0.003, respectively). The same pattern was observed among participants who smoked (p = 0.003 for MD adherence and p = 0.009 for FI, respectively). Multivariate regression analyses did not reveal any connections between FI categories, waist circumference or BMI, but showed an inverse relationship between severe FI and MD adherence. ConclusionsThe majority of the surveyed university students from Greece demonstrate some degree of FI, with a great proportion being severely food-insecure. Increased FI is inversely associated with MD adherence.

Rates of childhood trauma in a sample of university students in Greece: The Greek version of the Early Trauma Inventory-Self Report.

The self-report Early Trauma Inventory (ETI-SR-SF) was developed by Bremner et al in 2007 and has been proven a valid tool for the assessment of childhood trauma. The inventory covers four types of traumatic experiences: general trauma, physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse. The primary aim of the present study was to assess the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity and factor structure of the Greek version of the ETI-SR-SF. The study sample consisted of 605 individuals (402 women), undergraduate and postgraduate students of Athens universities with a mean age of 24.3 years. All participants completed a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, the Greek version of the ETI-SR-SF and the Greek version of the Trauma Symptoms Checklist (TSC-40). Both ETI-SR-SF and TSC-40 were re-administered to 56 participants after three to four weeks. ETI-SR-SF was found to display high levels of internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.91) and test-retest reliability (ICC=0.93). In addition, the internal structure of every subscale was examined by the means of factor analysis, which revealed that the items in every subscale contribute to a single factor explaining a great proportion of the variance. The correlation between total scores of ETI-SR-SF and TSC-40 was significantly strong (r=0.42, p<0.001), indicating satisfactory convergent validity. The most frequently reported type of childhood trauma was corporal punishment, at a rate of 89.9%, followed by emotional abuse (67.2%) and sexual abuse (27%). These rates are higher than those found in the international literature indicating that the various types of early traumatic experience are very common phenomena in the Greek student population. This finding should alert the experts and requires replication and further investigation by studies with larger samples. The findings of the present study suggest that the Greek version of the self-report Early Trauma Inventory (ETI-SR-SF) is a valid and reliable tool useful for future studies on childhood traumatic experiences in Greek populations. Moreover, according to our preliminary findings further investigation of the childhood trauma in Greece appears to be very much warranted.

Attitudes of Greek university students towards energy and the environment

&lt;p&gt;This paper summarises the results of a survey carried out amongst the student population of one of the largest Greek Technological Educational Institutes. It explores attitudes toward the environment in general and then, more specifically, toward global warming and global warming-mitigation technologies. It also explores student understanding of sources of carbon dioxide and climate change-mitigation technologies, such as carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). Further, it analyses responses to questions about willingness of respondents to pay to solve global warming. The data was collected in October and November of 2011 using a structured questionnaire which was first formulated in English and then translated into Greek. The analysis was performed using the statistical package SPSS v17.0 and focused on descriptive statistics, in order to compare the average ratings for the different statements.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;p&gt;The present study concludes that university students in Greece are overwhelmingly positively disposed towards the environment with the majority of respondents believing that protecting the environment should have priority over economic considerations. Students also view the effects of global warming as serious enough to warrant action and state their belief that the current generation should meet its own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. Moreover, the majority of the participants are against the development of nuclear energy, favoring RES (solar wind and bioenergy), and energy conservation technologies. However, the study has also identified a lack of understanding in regards to sources of carbon dioxide. The majority of the respondents do not seem to know that oceans act as sinks of CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; emissions or that the housing stock is a significant contributor to this problem.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

Health literacy among university students in Greece: determinants and association with self-perceived health, health behaviours and health risks.

BackgroundHealth literacy is widely considered as a key determinant of health and a priority in the public health policy agenda. Low health literacy has been associated with poorer health states, broader inequalities and higher health systems’ costs. In the present study we bring into focus the functional health literacy among university students in Greece, researching and assessing mainly their ability to apply basic knowledge in a health context.MethodsThe study was carried out during the period 15–30 April 2013, among a random sample of 1,526 students of 14 Higher Tertiary Public universities and Technological Educational Institutes in Greece. The objective of the study was to assess the functional health literacy among university students in Greece, adopting the short four-item comprehension test of Bostock and Steptoe. Summary statistics, correlations and regressions were used to assess the determinants of health literacy and the association with self-perceived health, health behaviours and health risks.ResultsEconomic factors, such as family income, demographic factors, such as gender, and health behaviours and risks, namely consumption of alcohol, smoking and physical workout are associated with the level of health literacy and health status of the participant. While the results of the study are consistent with previous work in this area, several findings worth further research.ConclusionsThough, health promotion interventions in Greece include health literacy as one of the basic pillars of the public health policy agenda, it is clear, that health literacy needs to become a key policy issue in Greece, mainly focusing in young ages, where healthy (or unhealthy) behaviours are established affecting the health through the life span.

Career Decision-making Difficulties, Dysfunctional Thinking and Generalized Self-Efficacy of University Students in Greece

The present study aims to examine the relationship of career decision-making difficulties, dysfunctional career thoughts and generalized self-efficacy, as factors involved in the decision-making process for university students. The study also investigates the influence of demographics and individual variables, and examines the predictive power of the Career Decision-making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ) and the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) over the dimensions assessed by the Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI). The results revealed statistically significant positive correlations between CDDQ factors (lack of information, inconsistent information, and lack of readiness) and total grade in Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI), decision-making confusion, commitment difficulty and lack of determination. On the other hand, the results show statistically significant negative correlations between all the aforementioned variables and generalized self-efficacy. Moreover, the generalized self-efficacy, as well as the CDDQ factors seemed to be predictors of the lack of determination, decision-making confusion and commitment difficulty. Finally, there is a discussion about the additionality of the CDDQ and CTI Questionnaires and advantages from their common use. Findings are discussed in the terms of the career counseling framework.

P01-40 - Psychologic predictors and epidemiology of internet addiction among university students in greece

AimTo present the epidemiology and psychological predictors of Internet Addiction (IA) among Greek University students.MethodsThis random sample consisted of 3545 students, drawn from 24 higher education institutions (1618/1927 M/F, mean age 20.12 ± 2.4 years). The survey was conducted in the 4 Greek cities: Athens, Preveza, Thessaloniki and Amfissa.ResultsThe prevalence rates of IA according to Young's Test in the four cities were: Athens (17.5%), Preveza (15.9%), Thessaloniki (19.3%), Amfissa (16.3%). There was a statistically significant association between location and IA (χ2 = 28.251, df = 3, p &lt; 0.001), gender and IA for males and females (p &lt; 0.001). We performed a t-test with the dependent variable S = sum of scores in the psychological features of loneliness, feeling abandoned, disappointed, aimless in life, and with low self-esteem; the grouping variable was IA. Results showed that the variable S was much lower for the non-addicted than for addicted students (t = 19.329, p &lt; 0.005, df = 3085). Binary logistic regression was performed to assess the impact of psychological characteristics on the likelihood that respondents would be Internet Addicted. The model was statistically significant χ2(10, N = 3085) = 316.3, p &lt; 0.001. The model classified correctly 85.1% of the cases. The strongest predictors of IA were the following: Loneliness (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.67-2.71), feeling abandoned (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.2-2.1), low self-esteem (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.4-2.1) and fear of losing their job (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.01-1.7).ConclusionLoneliness, helplessness, low self-esteem and fear of unemployment are the strongest predictors of IA among Greek university students.