Cent Eur J Public Health 2014, 22(2):67
Health and Well-being of Students at Higher Education Institutions - Time for Urgent Action?
Welcome to this special themed edition of the Central European Journal of Public Health. The seven articles published in this issue, dedicated to the health and well-being of higher education institutions students, present research pertaining to students from several high, low and middle-income countries across several continents. Taken together, CEJPH hopes that these studies bestow a rich and multi-perspective offering on the subject. Indeed, geographically, these students are enrolled at universities, colleges, and higher technical institutions located in culturally and politically diverse nations such as Egypt, the United Kingdom, Palestine, the Netherlands, Libya, and South Africa. Academically and demographically, the presented research assessed male and female students at different study years, a range of faculties, and across many academic disciplines. Methodologically, the studies employed quantitative methods (using generous sample sizes) or qualitative methods (using strategic sampling). Conceptually, the presented studies collectively report a wide range of socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle features and other variables that influence and impact on students' health and well-being. These include body image, smoking and smoking-associated health risks, nutrition, climate change, physical activity (PA), psychosomatic symptoms and health complaints, ethical concerns, and mental health challenges such as stress and depressive symptoms. Unfortunately, the findings of these studies raise concerns, as they seem to converge into one direction: that it is time for serious action if educators, health authorities and policy practitioners are to focus their much needed attention in order to maintain and improve the health and well-being of higher education students. Many examples within this issue serve to illustrate this urgent need for action.
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