Sex Based Comparison of Health Self-Perception, Sleep, Anxiety, and Body Composition Among University Students

Health self-perception (HSP) refers to an individual's subjective evaluation of their overall health, encompassing both physical and psychological dimensions. A number of factors, such as body composition, anxiety levels, and sleep quality, can have an impact on HSP among university students. There is a limited research investigating the combined association between HSP, sleep quality, and anxiety status in this demographic, despite the fact that each of these characteristics has been examined separately in relation to students' health. Furthermore, students' perceptions and reporting of their health may be influenced by contextual and cultural factors, particularly in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to explore the association of HSP with anthropometric measurements, sleep quality, and anxiety status and to compare these associations between female and male university students.

This cross-sectional study recruited 390 university students (198 males and 192 females), aged 18-25 years. A validated questionnaire was used for determining the sleep quality, anxiety and HSP while body composition was measured by using body analyzer.

Majority (59%) of the students reported positive HSP which was significantly associated with higher sleep quality and lower state anxiety scores compared to negative HSP group. Females were more likely to have negative HSP compared to males (p < 0.001). Moreover, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) score, PBF, FM, and VFR were significantly lower while sleep quality score and FFM were significantly higher among positive HSP group.

This study highlighted that good sleep quality, low anxiety levels, and healthy body composition are correlated with positive HSP and were significantly dependent on sex. A comprehensive health program is essential to improve sleep quality and anxiety status to promote good HSP among university students.