ArticleBMJ open2026
UNIversity students' LIFEstyle behaviours and Mental health cohort (UNILIFE-M): study protocol of a multicentre, prospective cohort study.
Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Adherence to Lifestyle Medicine and Sleep-Related Problems Among First-Year University Students in Quito, Ecuador, 2024-2025: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Nutrition, Sedentary Behaviour and Physical Activity in Undergraduate Students: A Scoping Review with PRISMA-ScR Checklist.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Social Media Exposure and Dietary Quality in University Restaurant Consumers: A PLS-SEM Approach from Northern Peru.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Exploratory assessment of the correlates of lifestyle medicine among Spanish university students: UNILIFE-M study.BMC public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
91 authors.
Felipe B SchuchPhysical Education and Sports Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil felipe.schuch@ufsm.br.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5190-4515
Aline WaclawosckyInstitute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Debora TornquistPhysical Education and Sports Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.
Adewale L OyeyemiDepartment of Physiotherapy, Redeemer's University, Ede, Nigeria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3737-2911
Kabir P SadaranganiFaculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Providência, Chile.
Keisuke TakanoDepartment of Psychology, Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
Megan TeychenneInstitute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
Vicent Balanzá-MartínezDepartment of Medicine, University of Valencia, INCLIVA, CIBERSAM, Valencia, Spain.
Adrienne O'NeilDeakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
A J RomainSchool of kinesiology of physical activity sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Aisling McGrathSouth East Technological University, Waterford, Ireland.
Alejandro AnselmiDepartment of Psychology, Universidad Católica del Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Aluísio Andrade-LimaAssociated Post-graduate Program in Movement Sciences, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife, Brazil.
Ana Carolina Guidorizzi ZanettiDepartment of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Nursing Research Development, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
Andrea-Catalina Trompetero-GonzálezSchool of Medicine and Health Science, Rehabilitation Science Research Group, Center for the Study of Physical Activity Measurement (CEMA), Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia.
Andreas HeisselSocial and Preventive Medicine, Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Intra-faculty Cognition Sciences, Faculty of Human Science, and Faculty of Health Sciences. Brandenburg, Research Area Services Research and e-Health, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9270-7027
Angel Fonseca Da SilvaPhysiotherapy and rehabilitation Department, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.
Angela Carolina Zambrano BenavidesFacultad de Salud y Rehabilitación, Programa de Fisioterapia, Institución Universitaria Escuela Nacional del Deporte, Cali, Colombia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4244-9872
Anu RuusunenInstitute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Carlos Cristi-MonteroIRyS Group, Physical Education School, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
Cornelia WeiseDepartment of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5216-1031
Daniel Alvarez PiresGraduate Program in Human Movement Sciences, Universidade Federal do Pará, Castanhal, Brazil.
Danilo R P SilvaFaculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Providência, Chile.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3995-4795
Dicky C PelupessyFaculty of Psychology, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia.
Eduarda Bitencourt Dos SantosPhysical Education and Sports Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.
Eduardo Lucia CaputoCenter for Evidence Synthesis in Health, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Elena CritselisDepartment of Primary Care and Population Health, University of Nicosia Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Elena DragiotiScientific Laboratory of Psychology and Person-Centered Care, Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9019-4125
Evan MatthewsSouth East Technological University, Waterford, Ireland.
Fabianna Resende de Jesus-MoraleidaGraduate Program in Physiotherapy and Functioning, Department of Physiotherapy, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Fabiano Alves GomesDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Farahdina BachtiarPhysiotherapy Department, Faculty of Health Science, UPN Veteran Jakarta, South Jakarta, Indonesia.
Fernando Lopes E Silva-JuniorPostgraduate Program in Nursing, Federal University of Piaui, Teresina, Brazil.
Hebasala SallemThe American University in Cairo, New Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.
Helena MouraDepartment of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasilia, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7222-6055
Idoo WombohPhysiotherapy Department, Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Nigeria.
Igor GrabovacDepartment of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9605-1467
Jacob D MeyerDepartment of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Jano Ramos-DiazFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Privada del Norte, Lima, Peru.
Javier Bueno-AntequeraResearch Group in Development Movimiento Humano, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8063-3980
Jênifer de OliveiraPhysiotherapy and rehabilitation Department, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.
J DeenikSchool for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Johana Soto-SánchezCentro de Biomedicina. Laboratorio de Actividad Física, Ejercicio y Salud; Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Medicina y Ciências de la Salud, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile.
Jolene van der Kaap-DeederDepartment of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Jonathan Leo NgSchool of Education, College of Design and Social Context, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
José Francisco López-GilVicerrectoría de Investigación y Postgrado, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7412-7624
Joseph FirthDivision of Psychology and Mental Health, The University of Manchester School of Health Sciences, Manchester, UK.
Julia Amaral TeixeiraInstitute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Juan Ramiro NikonovLaboratorio de Investigación, Instituto Universitario YMCA, Caba, Argentina.
Jürgen HoyerInstitute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Lara CarneiroPhysical Education Department, College of Education, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4385-5290
Liye ZouBody-Brain-Mind Laboratory, School of Psychology, Wuhan Sport University, Wuhan, China.
Louise M FarrerCentre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Marcella L WoudDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Göttingen, Gottingen, Germany.
Marco SolmiOttawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4877-7233
Maria Eduarda Adornes GuimarãesPhysical Education and Sports Center, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.
Markus GerberDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6140-8948
Markus ReichertDepartment of eHealth and Sports Analytics, Faculty of Sport Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Matthew JenkinsDepartment of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
Matthew J SavageSHAPE Research Group, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2922-3681
Mauricio Scopel HoffmannDepartment of Neuropsychiatry; Mental Health Epidemiology Group (MHEG), Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.
Melinda HutchessonSchool of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
Milton Enrique Gonzalez HenaoSchool of Physiotherapy, Universidad Popular Autonoma del Estado de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico.
Moises Jonathan Magos ChongFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac México, Huixquilucan, Mexico.
Nexhmedin MorinaInstitute of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2331-9140
Nicole L Galvão-CoelhoLaboratory of Hormone Measurement, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
Nina HeinrichsClinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8301-5798
Olga L Montoya-HurtadoDepartment of Research, Institución Universitaria Fundación Escuela Colombiana de Rehabilitación, Bogota, Colombia.
Patrick Ayi EwahDepartment of Physiotherapy, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.
Pascale SalamehSchool of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Beirut, Lebanon.
Raquel De BoniInstitute of Scientific and Technological Communication and Information in Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2455-5997
Rebecca Y M CheungSchool of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.
Renato Sobral Monteiro-JuniorDepartment of Physical Education, Montes Claros State University, Montes Claros, Brazil.
Rhiannon Lee WhiteSchool of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Sandra HaiderDepartment of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Se-Sergio BaldewDepartment of Physical Therapy, Anton de Kom University of Suriname, Paramaribo, Suriname.
Shawn GowYong Shian GOH, Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Simon RosenbaumSchool of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8984-4941
Souheil HallitSchool of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon.
Stéfany Giacomelo PiccininPhysiotherapy and rehabilitation Department, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.
Stephan HeinzelDepartment of Educational Sciences and Psychology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany.
Susan TorresInstitute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
Tabassum RashidAl Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Ifrane, Morocco.
Thiago Sousa MatiasDepartment of Physical Education, School of Sports, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil.
Tim RoheInstitute of Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
Tony MeirelesUniversidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
Waleska Reyes-FerradaExercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.
Yanjie ZhangPhysical Education Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.
Anna Katharina FreiFaculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute of Sports Science, Department of Education & Health Research, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Andrea DeslandesInstitute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Sebastian WolfFaculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Institute of Sports Science, Department of Education & Health Research, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionStudents 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.
Indexed as
Life StyleMental DisordersMental HealthStudentsFemaleHumansMaleMulticenter Studies as TopicObservational Studies as TopicProspective StudiesUniversitiesYoung AdultBehaviorHealthMENTAL HEALTH
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