The UNIversity students’ LIFEstyle behaviors and Mental health cohort (UNILIFE-M): Study protocol of a multicenter, prospective cohort study
Authors: Schuch Felipe Barreto , Waclawovsky Aline Josiane , Tornquist Debora , Oyeyemi Adewale , Sadarangani Kabir P. , Takano Keisuke , Teychenne Megan , Balanzá-Martínez Vicent , Romain Ahmed Jerome , Anselmi Alejandro , Zanetti Ana Carolina Guidorizzi , Trompetero-González Andrea-Catalina , Heissel Andreas , Silva Angel Fonseca da , Benavides Angela Carolina Zambrano , Ruusunen Anu , Cristi-Montero Carlos , Weise Cornelia , Pires Daniel Alvarez , Silva Danilo R. , Pelupessy Dicky C. , Santos Eduarda Bitencourt dos , Caputo Eduardo Lucia , Critselis Elena , Dragiotti Elena , de Jesus-Moraleida Fabianna Resende , Gomes Fabiano A. , Bachtiar Farahdina , Silva-Junior Fernando Lopes e , Moura Helena Ferreira , Womboh Idoo , Grabovac Igor , Meyer Jacob Daniel , Bueno-Antequera Javier , de Oliveira Jênifer , Deenik Jeoren , Soto-Sánchez Johana , Kaap-Deeder Jolene Van Der , NG Jonathan Leo , Firth Joseph , Teixeira Julia Amaral , Hoyer Juergen , Carneiro Lara , Zou Liye , Farrer Lou , Woud Marcela L. , Solmi Marco , Guimaraes Maria Eduarda Adornes , Gerber Markus , Reichert Markus , Jenkins Matthew , Savage Matthew J , Hoffman Mauricio , Hutchesson Melinda , Henao Milton E. Gonzalez , Chong Moises Jonathan Magos , Morina Nexhmedin , Galvão-Coelho Nicole L , Heinrich Nina , Nikonov Juan Ramiro , Montoya-Hurtado Olga L , Ewah Patrick Ayi , Salameh Pascale , de Boni Raquel Brandini , Cheung Rebecca Y. M. , Monteiro-Junior Renato Sobral , White Rhiannon L. , Haider Sandra , Baldew Se-Sergio , Gow Shawn , Rosenbaum Simon , Hallit Souheil , Piccinin Stefany Giacomelo , Heinzel Stephan , Torres Susan Jane , Matias Thiago Sousa , Rohe Tim , Reyes-Ferrada Waleska , Zhang Yanjie , Deslandes Andrea Camaz , Wolf Sebastian 
Published: January 2024

Background
Students enrolling in higher education often adopt lifestyles linked to worse mental health, potentially contributing to the peak age onset of mental health problems in early adulthood. However, extensive research is limited by focusing on single lifestyle behaviors, including single time points, within limited cultural contexts, and focusing on a limited set of mental health symptoms.
Methods
The UNIversity students’ LIFEstyle behaviors and Mental health cohort (UNILIFE-M) is a prospective worldwide cohort study aiming to investigate the associations between students’ lifestyle behaviors and mental health symptoms during their college years. The UNILIFE-M will gather self-reported data through an online survey on mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, mania, sleep problems, substance abuse, inattention/hyperactivity, and obsessive/compulsive thoughts/behaviors) and lifestyle behaviors (i.e., diet, physical activity, substance use, stress management, social support, restorative sleep, environment, and sedentary behavior) over 3.5 years. Participants of 69 universities from 28 countries (300 per site) will be assessed at university admission in the 2023 and/or the 2024 academic year and followed up for 1, 2, and 3.5 years.
Discussion
The study portrays a unique opportunity to comprehensively understand how multiple lifestyle behavior trajectories relate to mental health symptoms in a large international cohort of university students.