A Latent Profile Analysis of Student Demands and Resources

Abstract: Background: University students are increasingly exposed to a variety of demands; yet, little is known about how student demands interact with available resources and how these interactions affect students’ well-being in higher education. Aims: Drawing on the Study Demands–Resources (SD–R) theory ( Bakker & Mostert, 2024 ), this study adopts a person-centered approach to identify distinct student demand–resource profiles and investigate their implications for student well-being and outcomes. Method: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 2,434 South African university students across three campuses. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was performed to identify distinct student subgroups. Results: Five profiles emerged: 1) Collapsing (13.34%): High demands, low resources, associated with high burnout, low engagement, low study satisfaction, high dropout risk; 2) Stable and Supported (25.58%): Low demands, moderate to high resources, associated with low burnout, average engagement, high study satisfaction, low dropout risk; 3) Strained (33.35%): High demands, moderate resources, associated with moderate burnout and engagement, average study satisfaction, average dropout risk; 4) Flourishing (13.76%): Low demands, high resources, associated with low burnout, high engagement, high study satisfaction, low dropout risk; and 5) Enduring (13.97%): Moderate demands and resources, associated with average outcomes across burnout, engagement, study satisfaction, and dropout risk. Limitations: The cross-sectional design limits the ability to assess causality, stability, and change of profiles over time. Conclusion: These findings advance the SD–R theory by contributing to a more nuanced understanding of how demand–resource configurations shape students’ well-being and important outcomes in resource-constrained academic environments and offer evidence to inform targeted profile-specific interventions.