Severity of anxiety symptoms and their co-occurrence with dietary choices, sleep, physical activity, and counseling awareness among university students during final exams: A descriptive study.

Abstract

Mental health plays a critical role in the overall well-being of university students, a population vulnerable to psychological distress due to academic, social, and financial stressors. Among these, academic stress has been identified as a significant contributor to anxiety, particularly during final exams. This small cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted during the final examination period among 23 undergraduate students at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. The aim was to describe anxiety symptom severity and co-occurring lifestyle patterns, including sleep, physical activity, and dietary behaviors. Data were collected using the Diet Quality Questionnaire (DDQ) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Descriptive analyses, including frequencies, percentages, and measures of central tendency and dispersion were performed. In this study, 39.1% of participants presented moderate anxiety symptoms. Most participants were female (73.9%) and lived with their parents. Re-ported sleep duration was short (<6 hours/day), and physical activity levels were low (<30 minutes/day), with both behaviors commonly reported as decreased during the final examination period. Dietary choices were mainly influenced by lack of time, convenience, accessibility, and reduced appetite. Most students also reported not being aware of university counseling services. Higher anxiety symptom levels were descriptively observed alongside shorter sleep duration and lower physical activity in this sample. Larger studies are needed to further examine these patterns.