What This Means
This study adapted a questionnaire called the Life Conditions Scale, originally designed for adolescents, so it can be used with university staff. The researchers consulted experts and then tested the tool with 440 teaching, research, technical, administrative and service staff at two universities, one in Spain and one in Colombia. The tool covers lifestyle, emotional wellbeing and mental health.
Statistical analysis showed the questionnaire groups into seven distinct areas: personal wellbeing, anxiety, physical activity, snacking, leisure screen use, social media use, and fruit and vegetable intake. Reliability was excellent for anxiety, wellbeing and social media, and good for the other areas. Wellbeing and anxiety were related but distinct, which suggests they measure different things. Alcohol use was measured with an established scale, and dietary and sleep items were kept separate rather than combined into one score.
This research suggests the adapted scale could help universities identify lifestyle and mental health factors among their staff to guide health promotion. The researchers also planned to check whether the tool works similarly in Spain and Colombia, but the available summary does not give those results. The study is cross-sectional and covers only two universities, so further testing would be needed in other settings.