Sedentary Lifestyle and Well-Being Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Correlational Study

Abstract

Background: A sedentary lifestyle is an increasing public health concern among young adults, particularly university students. Prolonged sitting time has been associated with adverse physical and psychological outcomes that may compromise overall well-being. 
Objective: To determine the association between sedentary lifestyle and multidimensional well-being among university students.
Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted involving 133 students randomly selected from the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta. Data were collected in 2025 during regular classroom sessions. Sedentary behavior was assessed using the Sedentary Behaviour Questionnaire (SBQ), while well-being was measured using the Model for Healthy Questionnaire (MFH-Q). Descriptive statistics were calculated for sedentary time and well-being scores (mean sedentary time: 8.24 ± 5.26 hours/day). Data normality was evaluated using the Shapiro–Wilk test, and Pearson correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between variables.
Results: Most participants reported high sedentary time, and nearly half demonstrated low well-being. Pearson correlation analysis showed no statistically significant association between sedentary lifestyle and well-being (r = –0.141; p = 0.105; 95% CI –0.30 to 0.03), indicating a weak and non-significant negative relationship.
Conclusion: Sedentary time was not significantly associated with well-being among health sciences students. Well-being in young adults may be influenced by other factors such as sleep quality, academic stress, and social support. Further longitudinal and multivariate studies are recommended.