Prevalence and contributing factors of executive cognitive dysfunction symptoms in university students

The importance of executive cognition should not be overlooked in the private and academic lives of university students. It includes important constituents of the human mind, including but not limited to, organizing, directing, solving problems, and controlling oneself and these processes are central to surviving the rigors of higher education. Good executive function enables the students to perform complex tasks, such as fighting deadlines, understanding the course structure, and participating in many other activities. Further, it assists in arriving at resolutions and managing tensions as one transitions into adulthood, both of which are critical. In other words, executive cognitive deficits are correlated with problems in academic progression, time management, and overall adjustment to the possible social and emotional stressors of university experience. This cross-sectional study, involving 1,204 students, used the validated Arabic version of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) to measure executive cognitive function, along with demographic and lifestyle data. The results showed significant associations between executive cognition dysfunction and certain lifestyle factors common among generation Z, such as hours spent on smartphones or electronic devices (p < 0.0001), social media platform use (p = 0.0484), weekly fast food consumption (p < 0.0001), and daily hours on social media (p < 0.0001). Additional factors included weak family relationships (p = 0.0018), gender (p = 0.029), family income (p = 0.0164), urban residence (p = 0.0176), prior mental health consultations (p < 0.0001), and parental separation (p < 0.0375). Conversely, regular sports participation and exercise were linked to lower dysfunction scores (p = 0.0327), suggesting a protective effect. These findings underscore the impact of lifestyle and personal circumstances on cognitive functioning, highlighting the need for balanced technology use, healthy diets, strong family and social networks, and physical activity. Early psychological support for at-risk students may further enhance cognitive resilience and overall well-being.