Housing Situation as Predictor of Student Health and Academic Results

Abstract

Abstract Background Student housing is actualized as a major issue at the start of each semester, and 12 out of 33 university cities cannot offer new students housing during their first semester. Housing is, among other factors, often dependent on academic results because of regulations made by student housing companies. Meanwhile, previous studies suggest that housing and other sociodemographic factors influence stress levels, performance levels and health in the general population. In this study, the aim was to investigate whether there are any associations between student housing and health, stress levels and academic results. Methods Data was collected via an online survey that was sent to all students registered at the pharmacy programme, the physiotherapy programme, the programme in medicine and the speech and language pathology programme at Sahlgrenska academy. The results were analyzed using chi-square tests. Results The general response rate was 20 %. A significant association was found between an unstable housing situation and reported health decline (p=0.02). Housing was not found to be directly associated with stress levels or academic results. A reported health decline was, however, strongly associated with both of these factors. When the students were asked to derive health decline, stress levels and academic failure to specific factors, the most frequently listed factor was the work environment at the university. Conclusions It is widely accepted that stress has a negative impact on health, but the source of stress among students remains a complicated issue. The results of this study suggest that an area of interest for further studies is the work environment at the university.