A network analysis of factors related to physical health complaints among university students: A lifestyle medicine perspective

From the perspective of Lifestyle Medicine, this study employed a network analytical approach to investigate the associations between social support, affective states, health-promoting behaviors, health-impeding behaviors, and physical health complaints in 1542 university students. Network models indicated that negative affect was positively associated with four physical symptoms: backaches, dizziness, stomachaches, and headaches. The emotions of upset and guilty were positively associated with dizziness and backaches, respectively. Negative affect was identified as essential bridge nodes in maintaining the structure of the network, suggesting that the connections between communities in the network mostly relied on the negative affect. These findings provide theoretical insights into the relationship between behavioral, psychological factors, and physical health complaints and highlight potential targets for preventive and therapeutic interventions.