Healthy lifestyle patterns and mental health among university students: a systematic literature review

  • Eldi Pratama 
    Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau
    Indonesia
  • M. Fahli Zatrahadi
    Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau
    Indonesia
  • Miftahuddin
    Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau
    Indonesia

Abstract

Mental health problems among university students have become a critical global public health concern. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are strongly associated with elevated psychological distress in this population. However, comprehensive synthesis examining the multidimensional relationship between healthy lifestyle patterns and student mental health remains limited. This systematic literature review aimed to (1) identify the most frequently studied components of healthy lifestyle in relation to university student mental health, and (2) synthesize evidence on the relationship between healthy lifestyle patterns and mental health outcomes, including psychological well-being, stress, anxiety, depression, and emotional well-being. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases. Studies published between 2022 and 2025 were included. Inclusion criteria required empirical studies focusing on college or university students, healthy lifestyle components, and mental health outcomes. The PRISMA 2020 framework guided the review process, and thematic narrative synthesis was applied to analyze extracted data. Quality appraisal was conducted using JBI Critical Appraisal tools. Twenty peer-reviewed studies were included in the final synthesis. Six dominant lifestyle themes emerged: physical activity, sleep quality, diet and nutrition, social support, general health behaviors, and sedentary/screen time behavior. Physical activity and sleep quality were the most consistently studied components. Across RQ2, healthy lifestyle patterns demonstrated protective associations with psychological well-being, and significant inverse relationships with stress, anxiety, depression, and negative emotional states. Sleep quality emerged as the single most consistently influential factor across all mental health outcomes. Healthy lifestyle patterns, particularly regular physical activity, adequate sleep, balanced nutrition, and strong social support, are positively and consistently associated with better mental health outcomes among university students. Universities should integrate holistic health promotion programs addressing multiple lifestyle dimensions simultaneously.

Keywords
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Healthy lifestyle
  • Mental health
  • Physical activity
Lisensing Information
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite
Eldi Pratama, M. Fahli Zatrahadi, & Miftahuddin. (2026). Healthy lifestyle patterns and mental health among university students: a systematic literature review. Southeast Asian Journal of Technology and Science, 7(1), 32–46. https://doi.org/10.29210/810710100
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX
References
  1. Budnick, S., Peters, M., & Dowthwaite, J. (2025). A cross-sectional analysis of college students' diet, mental health, and hindrances to healthy lifestyles. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276251315347
  2. Cantisano, L. M., Gonzalez-Soltero, R., Blanco-Fernández, A., & Belando-Pedreño, N. (2022). ePSICONUT: An e-Health programme to improve emotional health and lifestyle in university students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 9253. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159253
  3. Chu, T., Liu, X., Takayanagi, S., Matsushita, T., & Kishimoto, H. (2023). Association between mental health and academic performance among university undergraduates: The interacting role of lifestyle behaviors. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 32(1), e1938. https://doi.org/10.1002/mpr.1938
  4. Fukuie, T., Inoue, K., & Yamaguchi, A. (2024). Lifestyle elements for improving mental and physical health in Japanese university students: Subjective sleep quality is a common key factor. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 18(3), 303–312. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276221125712
  5. Ghali, H., Ghammem, R., Baccouche, I., Hamrouni, M., Jedidi, N., Smaali, H., & Jdidi, F. (2022). Association between lifestyle choices and mental health among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE, 17(10), e0274525. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274525
  6. Hammoudi Halat, D., Hallit, S., Younes, S., AlFikany, M., Khaled, S., Krayem, M., & Rahal, M. (2023). Exploring the effects of health behaviors and mental health on students' academic achievement: A cross-sectional study on Lebanese university students. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 1228. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16141-5
  7. Herbert, C. (2022). Enhancing mental health, well-being and active lifestyles of university students by means of physical activity and exercise research programs. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 849093. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.849093
  8. Mei, Y., Zhang, Y., Yu, J., Tang, X., & Li, W. (2023). Healthy lifestyle mediates the association between health locus of control and life satisfaction among college students in Hubei, China. Archives of Public Health, 81(1), 136. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-023-01152-6
  9. Melnyk, B. M., Hoying, J., Hsieh, A. P., Buffington, B., Terry, A., & Moore, R. M. (2022). Effects of a cognitive-behavioral skills building program on the mental health outcomes and healthy lifestyle behaviors of veterinary medicine students. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 260(7), 789–795. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.21.07.0342
  10. Melnyk, B. M., Hsieh, A. P., Tan, A., Dirks, M., Gampetro, P. J., Gawlik, K., & Tschannen, D. (2023). State of mental health, healthy behaviors, and wellness support in Big 10 university nursing and health sciences faculty, staff, and students during COVID-19. Journal of Professional Nursing, 48, 152–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2023.06.001
  11. Omidvar, S., Khajavi, N., Pasha, H., Mohsenzadeh Ledari, F., Sepidarkish, M., Adib-Rad, H., & Ezoji, K. (2024). Do health-promoting lifestyle approaches manage mental health among adolescent/young college students? International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 36(2), 177–186. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2023-0062
  12. Ostermiller, L., Anderson, A. R., Warlick, C. A., & Dahlen, E. R. (2025). Lifestyle behaviors and mental health outcomes in sexual and gender minority graduate students. Journal of American College Health, 73(5), 1963–1972. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2023.2243547
  13. Peuters, C., Maenhout, L., Cardon, G., De Paepe, A., DeSmet, A., Lauwerier, E., & Crombez, G. (2024). A mobile healthy lifestyle intervention to promote mental health in adolescence: A mixed-methods evaluation. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17479-6
  14. Rahimi, A., Wardak, M. F., & Shayan, N. A. (2024). Assessing the relationship between lifestyle factors and mental health outcomes among Afghan university students. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 17, 100827. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2024.100827
  15. Sotaquirá, L., Backhaus, I., Sotaquirá, P., Pinilla-Roncancio, M., González-Uribe, C., Bernal, R., & Ramirez Varela, A. (2022). Social capital and lifestyle impacts on mental health in university students in Colombia: An observational study. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 840292. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.840292
  16. Spagert, L., Janssen, C., & Geigl, C. (2022). Mental health indicators and their lifestyle associations in German students: A gender-specific multivariable analysis. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1413. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13800-z
  17. Valentim, O., Vilelas, J., Carvalho, J. C., Andrade, C. M. S. M., Tomás, C., Costa, P. S., & Sequeira, C. (2023). The relation between lifestyles and positive mental health in Portuguese higher education students. Global Health Promotion, 30(1), 23–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/17579759221122059
  18. Wang, C., Yan, S., Jiang, H., Guo, Y., Gan, Y., Lv, C., & Lu, Z. (2022). Socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyles, social support quality and mental health in college students: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1583. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13976-4
  19. Wang, Y., Zhang, J., Huang, L., Li, X., & Zhong, Y. (2025). Association between healthy lifestyle choices and mental health among students: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 25(1), 247. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21397-0
  20. Zhang, Z., Abdullah, H., Ghazali, A. H. A., D'Silva, J. L., Ismail, I. A., & Huang, Z. (2024). The influence of health awareness on university students' healthy lifestyles: The chain mediating role of self-esteem and social support. PLOS ONE, 19(10), e0311886. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311886.

Downloads

PDF

Statistic

Abstract Views
: 66 times
PDF
: 2 times