Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Behaviors of Higher Education Students in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study

Mary Amoako, Felicity Amoah-Agyei, Gideon Okyere Mensah, Chen Du, Selin Sergin, Jenifer I. Fenton and Robin M. Tucker ()
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Mary Amoako: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi 00233, Ghana
Felicity Amoah-Agyei: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi 00233, Ghana
Gideon Okyere Mensah: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi 00233, Ghana
Chen Du: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, 469 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Selin Sergin: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, 469 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Jenifer I. Fenton: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, 469 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Robin M. Tucker: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, 469 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI 48824, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 24, 1-12

Abstract: Stressful events can significantly impact health behaviors of tertiary students in various ways. Many studies reported adverse alterations in health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is limited knowledge about students from sub-Saharan African countries. Therefore, this study aimed to assess effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health behaviors of Ghanaian tertiary students, with an emphasis on the association between sleep and other health behaviors. A cross-sectional study with eligible tertiary students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana ( n = 129) was conducted. An online survey assessed quality and duration of sleep, financial stress, dietary risk, alcohol misuse, and physical exercise using validated tools. Health behaviors did not differ by gender. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected health behaviors for many students including dietary intake (20.2%), sleep quality (20.2%) and duration (81.4%), alcohol consumption (3.1%), exercise frequency (4.1%), and exercise intensity (38%). Shorter sleep duration was linked with greater alcohol misuse scores ( p < 0.05). A majority of the students (56%) had increased financial stress during the pandemic. This study contributes important insights into the effects that stressful events such as a pandemic have on the health of higher education students in sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords: dietary risk; sleep quality; stress; COVID-19; higher education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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