Quality of life in students at a Mexican university

Abstract

The concept of Quality of Life encompasses both multidimensional and individual dimensions in an individual's perception of health and well-being.  Therefore, it is important to identify the Quality of Life among first-year students enrolled at a private university in northern Mexico. The study employed an observational, descriptive, prospective, and cross-sectional design, involving a sample of 222 students selected through non-random convenience sampling. Employing the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Questionnaire in its Spanish version, the study explored the domains of Physical Health, Psychological Health, Environment, and Social Relations, in addition to two general inquiries concerning Quality of Life and Satisfaction with Health. Data analysis was conducted using non-parametric methods. The results revealed a significant difference in the Physical Health domain and the Psychological Health (p=.005), Environment (p=.004) and Social Relations (p=.046) domains. Conversely, no significant differences were observed in the domains of Psychological Health with Environment (p=.489), Social Relations (p=.624) and the Environment and Social Relations domains (p=.788). The strongest correlation was found between the Physical Health and Environment domains (Rho=.633). The weakest correlation corresponded to the Psychological Health and Quality of Life (Rho=.436). Furthermore, the analysis indicated significant relationships (p < 0.01) among all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF, Quality of Life, and Satisfaction with Health. In conclusion, the students in this study demonstrated a satisfactory and favorable relationship between their overall Quality of Life and their Satisfaction with Health.