UNIversity students' LIFEstyle behaviours and Mental health cohort (UNILIFE-M): study protocol of a multicentre, prospective cohort study

Schuch FB, Waclawoscky A, Tornquist D, Oyeyemi AL, Sadarangani KP, Takano K, Teychenne M, Balanzá-Martínez V, O'Neil A, Romain AJ, McGrath A, Alselmi A, Andrade-Lima A, Zanetti ACG, Trompetero-González AC, Heissel A, Silva AFD, Benavides ACZ, Ruusunen A, Cristi-Montero C, Weise C, Pires DA, Silva DR, Pelupessy DC, Dos Santos EB, Caputo EL, Critselis E, Dragioti E, Matthews E, de Jesus-Moraleida FR, Gomes FA, Bachtiar F, Silva-Junior FLE, Sallem H, Moura H, Womboh I, Grabovac I, Meyer JD, Ramos-Diaz J, Bueno-Antequera J, de Oliveira J, Deenik J, Soto-Sánchez J, van der Kaap-Deeder J, Leo Ng J, López-Gil JF, Firth J, Teixeira JA, Nikonov JR, Hoyer J, Carneiro L, Zou L, Farrer LM, Woud ML, Solmi M, Guimarães MEA, Gerber M, Reichert M, Jenkins M, Savage MJ, Hoffmann MS, Hutchesson M, Gonzalez Henao ME, Chong MJM, Morina N, Galvão-Coelho NL, Heinrichs N, Montoya-Hurtado OL, Ewah PA, Salameh P, De Boni R, Cheung RY, Monteiro-Junior RS, White RL, Haider S, Baldew SS, Gow S, Rosenbaum S, Hallit S, Piccinin SG, Heinzel S, Torres S, Rashid T, Matias TS, Rohe T, Meireles T, Reyes-Ferrada W, Zhang Y, Frei AK, Deslandes A, Wolf S (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Book Volume: 16

Pages Range: e085006-

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085006

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Students enrolling in higher education often adopt lifestyles linked to worse mental health, potentially contributing to the peak age onset of mental health problems in early adulthood. However, extensive research is limited by focusing on single lifestyle behaviours, including single time points, within limited cultural contexts, and focusing on a limited set of mental health symptoms. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The UNIversity students' LIFEstyle behaviours and Mental health cohort (UNILIFE-M) is a prospective worldwide cohort study aiming to investigate the associations between students' lifestyle behaviours and mental health symptoms during their college years. The UNILIFE-M will gather self-reported data through an online survey on mental health symptoms (ie, depression, anxiety, mania, sleep problems, substance abuse, inattention/hyperactivity and obsessive/compulsive thoughts/behaviours) and lifestyle behaviours (ie, diet, physical activity, substance use, stress management, social support, restorative sleep, environment and sedentary behaviour) over 3.5 years. Participants of 69 universities from 28 countries (300 per site) will be assessed at university admission in the 2023 and/or the 2024 academic year and followed up for 1, 2 and 3.5 years. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was first approved at a national level in Brazil (CAE:63025822.8.1001.5346). Study sites outside Brazil obtained additional ethics approval from their institutions using the main approval. Results from the UNILIFE-M cohort will be disseminated through scientific publications, presentations at scientific meetings, press releases, the general media and social media.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Federal University of Santa Maria / Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM) Brazil (BR) Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) / Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Brazil (BR) Redeemer‘s University (RUN) Nigeria (NG) Universidad Autónoma de Chile (UAutónoma) Chile (CL) Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Germany (DE) University of València / Universitat de València Spain (ES) Deakin University Australia (AU) Université de Montréal Canada (CA) South East Technological University / Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta and Oirdheiscirt Ireland (IE) Universidad Católica del Uruguay Uruguay (UY) Rural Federal University of Pernambuco / Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco Brazil (BR) World Health Organization Switzerland (CH) Universidad del Rosario Colombia (CO) University of Nicosia Cyprus (CY) University of Ioannina / Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων Greece (GR) Fakultät für Gesundheitswissenschaften Brandenburg Germany (DE) Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta UPNVJ Indonesia (ID) National School of Sport University Institution / Institución Universitaria Escuela Nacional del Deporte (END) Colombia (CO) The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) China (CN) Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Germany (DE) Universidade de Brasília Brazil (BR) Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta Nigeria (NG) Medizinische Universität Wien Austria (AT) University of Wisconsin - Madison United States (USA) (US) Private University of the North / Universidad Privada del Norte (UPN) Peru (PE) Universidad de Zaragoza Spain (ES) University of Otago New Zealand (NZ) Nottingham Trent University United Kingdom (GB) University of Newcastle (UoN) Australia (AU) Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla Mexico (MX) Anahuac University / Universidad Anáhuac México Mexico (MX) Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU) Münster Germany (DE) Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte / Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) Brazil (BR) Universität Bielefeld Germany (DE) Escuela Colombiana de Rehabilitación ECR Colombia (CO) University of Calabar (Teaching Hospital) Nigeria (NG) Lebanese American University (LAU) Lebanon (LB) Institute of Scientific and Technological Communication and Information in Health / Instituto de Comunicação e Informação Científica e Tecnológica em Saúde Brazil (BR) University of Reading United Kingdom (GB) Montes Claros State University / Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros Brazil (BR) Philipps-Universität Marburg Germany (DE) Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA) Brazil (BR) Universidade Federal do Ceará (UCF) Brazil (BR) McMaster University Canada (CA) University of Indonesia (UI) / Universitas Indonesia Indonesia (ID) Brown University United States (USA) (US) Georg-August-Universität Göttingen Germany (DE) Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Canada (CA) Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) Germany (DE) University of New South Wales (UNSW) Australia (AU) Holy Spirit University of Kaslik / Université saint-esprit de kaslik (USEK) Lebanon (LB) Technische Universität Dortmund Germany (DE) Al Akhawayn University / جامعة الأخوين Morocco (MA) Federal University of Santa Catarina / Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) Brazil (BR) Federal University of Pernambuco / Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Brazil (BR) Universidad Andrés Bello Chile (CL) Maastricht University Netherlands (NL) Universidad Mayor Chile (CL) NTNU Trondheim - Norwegian University of Science and Technology Norway (NO) Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University) Australia (AU) University of Los Lagos / Universidad de Los Lagos Chile (CL) University of Manchester United Kingdom (GB) Technische Universität Dresden Germany (DE) United Arab Emirates University / جامعة الإمارات العربية المتحدة United Arab Emirates (AE) Wuhan Sports University (WIPE) / 武汉体育学院 China (CN) Australian National University (ANU) Australia (AU) Universität Basel Switzerland (CH) University of Eastern Finland Finland (FI) Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso / Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV) Chile (CL) Federal University of Piauí / Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI) Brazil (BR) The American University in Cairo Egypt (EG) University of Western Sydney Australia (AU) Anton de Kom University of Suriname / Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname Suriname (SR) NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Singapore (SG)

How to cite

APA:

Schuch, F.B., Waclawoscky, A., Tornquist, D., Oyeyemi, A.L., Sadarangani, K.P., Takano, K.,... Wolf, S. (2026). UNIversity students' LIFEstyle behaviours and Mental health cohort (UNILIFE-M): study protocol of a multicentre, prospective cohort study. BMJ Open, 16(1), e085006-. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085006

MLA:

Schuch, Felipe B., et al. "UNIversity students' LIFEstyle behaviours and Mental health cohort (UNILIFE-M): study protocol of a multicentre, prospective cohort study." BMJ Open 16.1 (2026): e085006-.

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