PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Background Based on Salutogenic Model by Antonovsky (1979), Sense of Coherence (SOC) is a determinant of health; a strong SOC has positive health effects. The most important period in SOC development is before the age of 30. University students belong to this age group. The multiple demands at the university, such as managing academic tasks, deepening relationships with others, and planning a career, have been considered as normative sources of stress that could challenge the SOC of the students. This research intended to identify the factors associated with SOC among the university students in China with emphasis on the impact of the perceived stress on the development of SOC. The specific objectives were to: 1) investigate the association between SOC, socio-demographic and lifestyle-related characteristics; 2) assess the effect of perceived stress on SOC controlling for other variables. Both analyses were done to derive a better view on possible strategies to strengthen students’ SOC and with that to promote their health at Chinese universities. Methods The data used were from a Chinese university student health survey (N = 1,853). Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the effects of varied socio-demographic, lifestyle-related variables on students’ level of Sense of Coherence (SOC), as well as the association between perceived stress and SOC controlling for other variables in the analysis. Results Both social support (OR = 2.56 [1.87-3.50]) and better performance compared with peers (OR = 1.64 [1.15-2.34]) were associated with a stronger SOC. Not feeling isolated at university (OR = 1.60 [1.04-2.47]) and satisfaction with the political situation (OR = 2.05 [1.57-2.67]) were also associated with a stronger SOC. This counts also for high health awareness (OR = 1.40 [1.05-1.87]) and nutrition importance (OR = 1.67 [1.04-2.69]). Perceived stress (OR = 0.81 [0.79-0.83]) was negatively associated with a strong SOC when controlling for socio-demographic and lifestyle-related variables. Conclusion We suggest integrating stress coping, emotion management training programmes as well as measures promoting social integration for students and teachers at campus, promoting healthy behaviours, and creating a supportive learning environment as strategies for enhancing the SOC level of university students in China.