Teisovinuo Semou, Oindrila Mukherjee, Laxmi Priyanka Nakka and
Suma Lavanya Mutnury
University of Hyderabad, Telangana
University students experience a variety of challenges which affect their physical and mental health. Quality of life is seen as a broad concept pertaining to one’s sense of well-being and satisfaction in life. Chronic illness brings pain, discomfort, and uncertainty about the future, which can negatively affect a person’s day-to-day functioning, level of independence, and interpersonal relationships and ultimately affecting their quality of life. The present study sought to investigate the health-related quality of life and uncover the role of chronic illness linked with it among university students. The study used a between-subjects design. The sample comprised of 120 Indian university students within the age group 18 years – 33 years. Participants were recruited for this study via purposive sampling method. The RAND 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) version 1.0 and Beck’s depression inventory were the tools used in the study. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, and stepwise multiple regression were used for the statistical analysis of the variables using SPSS v26. Findings indicated that the university students had low health related quality of life and the students with chronic illnesses had poorer health related quality of life as compared to the students without chronic illnesses. Low health related quality of life significantly contributed to depressive symptoms. To prevent a further decline in students’ health and to formulate effective health promotion programs, university supervisors and administrators, healthcare experts, and policymakers must exercise caution in monitoring students’ health.