Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are negatively associated with life satisfaction among new university students, with healthy lifestyles associated with nearly twice the odds of good life satisfaction compared to unhealthy lifestyles.
The majority of newly enrolled undergraduate students reported good life satisfaction.
Students with healthy lifestyles had significantly higher odds of good life satisfaction compared to those with unhealthy lifestyles.
Each one-unit increase in lifestyle score was associated with a 28% increase in the odds of good life satisfaction.
Students with healthier dietary patterns reported significantly higher life satisfaction than those with poorer diets.
Socioeconomic status and anxiety levels differed significantly across life satisfaction groups.
The study used a cross-sectional design with structured, validated questionnaires to assess lifestyle and life satisfaction in newly enrolled students.
This research suggests that when students start university, their lifestyle habits are closely linked to how satisfied they feel with their lives overall. The study surveyed 419 new undergraduate students at a medical university in Tehran, Iran, and found that about 70% reported good life satisfaction. Students who maintained healthier behaviors—such as eating a balanced diet, being physically active, and getting enough sleep—were nearly twice as likely to report good life satisfaction compared to students with unhealthier habits. Additionally, every small improvement in overall lifestyle score was associated with a 28% increase in the likelihood of feeling satisfied with life. The research also found that socioeconomic status and anxiety were strongly associated with life satisfaction, highlighting that multiple factors beyond just lifestyle play a role in student well-being. Among specific lifestyle factors, diet stood out: 76.6% of students with healthier eating patterns reported good life satisfaction, compared to only 60.4% of those with poorer diets. These associations held even after accounting for differences in age, sex, economic background, and anxiety levels. This research suggests that the transition to university is an important window of opportunity to support students' healthy behaviors, since this period often brings significant changes in routine, diet, and stress levels. Programs that encourage nutritious eating, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, and stress management during the early university years may help improve students' overall sense of well-being and life satisfaction. Because the study was cross-sectional—meaning it captured a single point in time—it cannot confirm that unhealthy lifestyles directly cause lower life satisfaction, but the association is consistent with broader research in this area.
Upload your bloodwork. We'll cross-reference your results against this study and 4,700 others.
Upload Your LabsEshaghi M, Karimi K, Panahi N, Azizpour Y, Razi F, Gharajeh A, et al.. (2026). Examining relationship between unhealthy lifestyle and life satisfaction among new students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0344179