Work

A dataset of lifestyle and physical and mental health among Chinese college students

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The college period represents a critical stage in the formation of healthy lifestyles in adulthood and is often referred to as emerging adulthood. Health-related behaviors established during this period are closely associated with psychological health across subsequent life stages, making the study of relationships between lifestyle and physical and mental health during this stage particularly informative. This study, framed within the six core pillars of Lifestyle Medicine, focuses on the practical issue of how lifestyle influences physical and mental health. From October to December 2024, a questionnaire survey was conducted across more than 20 universities in mainland China, resulting in the establishment of the dataset of lifestyle and physical and mental health among Chinese college students with a total sample size of over 35,000. To adhere to the principles of scientific data sharing while maximizing participant privacy protection, this dataset employed a stratified random sampling method to extract a high-quality, publicly shared subset of 2,717 college students (mean age approximately 19.3 years old) from the full database. The dataset covers multiple provinces and municipalities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Sichuan. It systematically captures multidimensional indicators of lifestyle behaviors, physical health, and mental health. With respect to lifestyle behaviors, 48.18% of students reported actively choosing foods beneficial for long-term health. Mean scores for stress management ability and social support were 12.95±3.57 and 21.41±8.66, respectively. Descriptive analyses of physical activity indicated that 73.87% of students achieved moderate or higher levels of physical activity. At the same time, room for improvement remains in sleep quality and digital media use for a subset of students. Regarding physical health, 62.97% of students rated their health status as good. In terms of mental health, scores on continuous measures suggested that the student sample generally showed a distribution pattern consistent with favorable psychological functioning . This dataset employs multiple internationally validated standardized assessment instruments and demonstrates strong reliability, validity, and cross-study comparability. It provides a high-quality empirical foundation for promoting positive mental health, developing healthy lifestyle interventions, and strengthening student health support systems in higher education settings.

Source: China Scientific Data

DOI: 10.11922/11-6035.csd.2025.0242.zh