Social-ecological factors associated with loneliness in university students: results from the German cross-sectional StudiBiFra study

Vanessa Wenig^1*Katherina Heinrichs¹Eileen Heumann¹Jennifer Lehnchen¹Julia Burian²Zita Deptolla²Christiane Stock^1,3

• ¹Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
• ²Health Management, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
• ³University of Southern Denmark, Unit for Health Promotion Research, Esbjerg, Denmark

Aims: Using a social-ecological perspective, this study aims to understand loneliness in university students by (1) assessing its prevalence by sociodemographic factors, and (2) identifying interpersonal and organisational factors associated with loneliness during studies.Methods: Data from the StudiBiFra study, a cross-sectional survey among university students in Germany, were used. The sample consisted of 12,874 students from 7 universities, surveyed between May 2022 and March 2023 using the Bielefeld Questionnaire on Study Conditions and Mental Health. Hierarchical logistic regression was employed to examine the associations of individual, inter-personal, and organisational variables with loneliness.Results: A total of 28.2 % of students experienced loneliness during their studies. Gender-diverse students (OR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.04 -2.73) and males (OR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.26 -1.63), as well as those with poor subjective overall health (OR = 2.62; 95% CI: 2.26 -3.05), were at high risk of feeling lonely. At the inter-personal level, positive social relationships among students acted as a protective factor against loneliness (OR = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.29 -0.34). At the organisational level, weak connectedness to the university was positively associated with loneliness (OR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.23 -1.67), while high university engagement was negatively associated with loneliness (OR = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.83 -0.97). Students enrolled in universities of applied sciences were less likely to experience loneliness compared to those at universities (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.63 -0.91).Conclusions: The findings underscore the importance of both individual and institutional efforts to address loneliness at German universities, a demand that was accelerated during and after the pandemic. Promoting social connections and strengthening students' ties to their university are important strategies for combating loneliness, highlighting the importance of community-building health promotion.