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Wellbeing of Tertiary Students

University is a time of great challenge for students, offering great opportunities for learning and growth but also posing considerable challenges. A key task for Universities is to help their students succeed and achieve their potential. However, the information upon which service and policy decisions might be made is typically limited: gathered mainly at one point in time (upon enrolment), fragmented, and limited to a relatively small selection of variables. The study, then, aims to investigate the broader social, cultural, economic, and individual determinants and trajectories of health and wellbeing in students, in order to provide a detailed evidence base to inform decisions on student services and health and wellbeing policies, as well as teaching and learning experiences.

The study design took full advantage of Avicenna's data collection capabilities, utilizing sensor data, baseline surveys administered upon enrolment in the Study, and very short surveys (or Ecological Momentary Assessments) delivered three times per week. By combining these data sources with anonymized administrative data from the students' University, a rich picture of the determinants and outcomes of wellbeing may be created, with the historical dimension of the data potentially allowing insight into causation.

Study Profile​

Participation duration: 1 year

Sample size: 180 subjects

Data sources:

  • Surveys
  • Location information
  • Screen state
  • Proximity
  • Ambient temperature
  • Ambient light
  • Air pressure
  • Accelerometry
  • Pedometer

Research Team​

Andrew Page, Ph.D.
Chair of Epidemiology
Translation Health Research Institute
Western Sydney University

Anton du Toit
Western Sydney University