Rapid e-Delphi Design of a Survey on Student Lifestyles, Psychological, and Contextual Factors Integrating the World Mental Health International College Student Assessment in the Italian Higher Education Setting.

A preliminary supplementary questionnaire based on a literature review was developed with 15 sections covering lifestyle behaviors, psychological well-being, and contextual factors to complement the WMH-ICS survey.

• The questionnaire was developed within the Italian Health Mode On project.
• It incorporated brief standardized measures across 15 sections.
• The instrument was designed to complement the World Mental Health International College Student (WMH-ICS) survey.
• Sections were based on a systematic literature review prior to expert validation.

The validation process used a two-round electronic Delphi method involving 17 experts from Italian universities and research institutes.

• The process was described as a 'rapid e-Delphi' approach.
• Experts rated the relevance of each section and domain in the first round and suggested item revisions or additions.
• Feedback was synthesized and presented in the second round, during which experts re-rated their agreement with all proposed modifications.
• Participants were drawn from Italian universities and research institutes.

Experts submitted 115 item-modification proposals and 10 suggestions for new sections or domains across the two Delphi rounds.

• A total of 115 item-modification proposals were received from the expert panel.
• 10 suggestions for entirely new sections or domains were also proposed.
• All 15 sections proposed in the preliminary version were retained after the Delphi process.
• This indicates no sections were eliminated during expert review.

Approximately 30% of proposed modifications and additions were accepted following the two-round Delphi consensus process.

• 35 out of 115 item-modification proposals were accepted, representing an acceptance rate of 30.4%.
• 3 out of 10 suggested new sections or domains were accepted, representing an acceptance rate of 30%.
• Both modification and addition acceptance rates were nearly identical at approximately 30%.
• Acceptance decisions were based on expert re-rating of agreement in the second Delphi round.

The final validated instrument comprises 18 sections and 64 items covering a broad range of health and contextual domains.

• The final questionnaire expanded from 15 preliminary sections to 18 sections after expert input.
• The instrument covers 18 distinct domains: anthropometry, socio-economic status, housing, commuting, physical activity, diet, sleep, nicotine product use, social media, gaming, gambling, loneliness, hopelessness, life satisfaction, academic stress, student services, discrimination, and general well-being.
• The total item count of the final instrument is 64.
• The inclusion of domains such as gambling, gaming, social media, and loneliness reflects an expanded scope beyond the original WMH-ICS instrument.

The rapid e-Delphi methodology was identified as an appropriate and efficient approach for producing an expert-validated supplementary survey instrument.

• The authors describe the process as producing 'a concise, expert-validated supplement.'
• The two-round structure allowed iterative refinement based on synthesized expert feedback.
• The method was characterized as 'rapid,' suggesting it was designed to be time-efficient compared to traditional Delphi approaches.
• The validated supplement is intended to inform health promotion and prevention interventions in the Italian higher education context.