AUTHOR=Yang Bin-Wei , Zou Peng , Chen Qing , Sun Lei , Ling Xi , Yang Huan , Zhou Ni-Ya , Wang Li-Hong , Huang Lin-Ping , Liu Jin-Yi , Yang Hui-Fang , Cao Jia , Ao Lin 

TITLE=Lifestyle-related risk factors correlated with mental health problems: A longitudinal observational study among 686 male college students in Chongqing, China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1040410

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.1040410

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Aim: Public concerns over the mental health problems of college students are rising. This study sought to explore the association of lifestyle-related risk factors with the prevalence of mental health problems in Chinese college students. 
Methods: The lifestyle information and mental health status of 686 male college students from Chongqing, China, were assessed in 2014, and 582 of them were followed up a year later. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing demographic and lifestyle factors. Mental health problems were measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). 
Results: Univariate analyses indicated that age, sleep latency, sleep duration, computer usage time, milk tea drinking, and fried food consumption were potential risk factors for mental health problems (p’s < 0.05). Multivariate analysis further revealed that, either at baseline or during follow-up, participants with (i) more computer usage time were at a higher risk of having depression symptoms (p’s < 0.05) and (ii) a higher frequency of fried food consumption were associated with a higher risk of having depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (p’s < 0.05). Additionally, the cross-lagged analysis showed that (i) computer usage time in 2014 is positively correlated with depression status (β = 0.106, p < 0.05) but not anxiety (β = 0.047, p > 0.05) and stress (β = 0.019, p > 0.05) status a year later and (ii) fried food consumption in 2014 is positively correlated with depression (β = 0.129, p < 0.01), anxiety (β = 0.168, p < 0.001), and stress (β = 0.113, p < 0.01) status a year later. 
Conclusions: Computer usage time and fried food consumption were lifestyle-related risk factors for mental health problems in Chinese college students.