A108: Mood State of the University Students During the COVID-19 and Its Influencing Factors
Authors: Zhang Liqiang , Gao Huina , Wang Xiaozan 
Published: February 2024

Purpose: Employing a stratified random sampling approach, we conducted an investigation into the mental
state and its influencing factors among 10,285 college students across 80 universities in 20 provinces (cities), spanning
Beijing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shandong, Shanxi,
Shaanxi, Sichuan, Tibet, Zhejiang, and Chongqing. This study, conducted in 2020, 2021, and 2022, aims to effectively enhance
the mental well-being of college students within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Frequency was
employed to examine the basic characteristics of the respondents. The Pearson chi-square test was then utilized to test the rates
of emotional strife across different parameters such as grade, gender, ethnicity, year, visual acuity, physical activity (PA),
and physical class. Additionally, binary logistic regression was applied to analyze the quantitative-effect relationships
between distinct mental states and various other indicators. Results: The chi-square test indicated
statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the comparison of emotional strife scores among college students across
the years 2020, 2021, and 2022, except for high total emotional strife scores and visual acuity across different physical fitness
levels. Results from binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant effect (p < 0.05) of all factors,
excluding physical class, on emotional strife among college students. Specifically, the odds of higher emotional disturbance
decreased in 2021 (OR=0.782) compared to lower total emotional disturbance scores. However, except for graduate students,
the odds of higher emotional disturbance gradually increased with higher academic levels (sophomore, OR=1.51; junior,
OR=2.319; and senior, OR=2.932) compared to freshmen. Male students exhibited higher odds of higher emotional disturbance
(OR=1.139) than their female counterparts. Furthermore, the odds of higher emotional disturbance were higher for male
students compared to female students (OR=1.139). However, the odds of higher emotional disturbance decreased for Han
Chinese (OR=0.764) and other ethnic groups (OR=0.909) compared to Tibetans. Simultaneously, the odds of higher emotional
disturbance tended to decrease with increasing self-rated health levels compared to poor health (fair, OR=0.509; good,
OR=0.255; healthy, OR=0.157). In terms of physical activity, compared to low PA, subjects with moderate PA (OR=0.776) and
high PA (OR=0.67) tended to experience higher emotional disturbance, reflecting a decreasing trend in the odds of higher
emotional strife. Conclusion: The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the mental well-being of college
students exhibited significant variations. In 2021, along with poor self-health ratings and low levels of physical
activity (PA), were identified as risk factors associated with higher emotional strife among college students. Conversely,
being in sophomore, junior, or senior years, identifying as male, and belonging to the Han or other ethnic groups were
identified as protective factors against higher emotional strife. These findings suggest that schools should specifically
address Tibetan college students across different grades who engage in moderate to high levels of physical activity,
aiming to enhance their overall mental well-being.