Identifying vulnerable groups in academic burnout among higher education students: lifestyle and sociodemographic characteristic

TL;DR

This study identifies vulnerable student groups in academic burnout based on lifestyle and sociodemographic factors, finding that women with disabilities and financial insecurity are most at risk.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel approach combining latent class analysis of lifestyle factors with sociodemographic data to identify vulnerable groups in academic burnout.

Findings

Four distinct lifestyle groups were identified among higher education students.

Women with disabilities and financial insecurity reported the highest levels of academic burnout across all lifestyle groups.

Promoting physical activity and reducing screen time could help prevent academic burnout.

Abstract

Academic burnout is a major concern in higher education. We aimed to identify lifestyle groups among students using latent class analyses and to examine how sociodemographic characteristics and these lifestyle groups were associated with academic burnout.

A representative population-based survey of Finnish higher education students (n = 3639; aged 18–34 y) was conducted in 2024. Latent class analyses of the lifestyles (physical activity, use of nicotine products, cannabis use, risky alcohol consumption, eating vegetables and fruits/berries, insufficient sleep, problematic Internet use) were used to group students. Differences in academic burnout by lifestyle groups and sociodemographic characteristics were examined using a regression analysis. Academic burnout was assessed using the School Burnout Inventory (SBI-9).

Female sex, disability, and financial insecurity were associated with higher academic burnout. Women with disability and financial insecurity showed the highest burnout compared to other students (B = 9.83). Four lifestyle groups were identified: healthy lifestyles (37%); physically inactive with problematic Internet use (29%); physically active with substance use (alcohol, nicotine products, cannabis; 13%); and unhealthy lifestyles (21%). Physically inactive students with problematic Internet use or unhealthy lifestyles reported higher burnout than healthy students or physically active students who used substances, with sex differences. The intersectional group—women with disabilities and financial insecurity—reported equally high levels of burnout in each lifestyle group.

To prevent academic burnout, policies should promote healthy lifestyles among higher education students—particularly physical activity and limited screen time. Women with disabilities and financial insecurity are the most vulnerable to burnout, regardless of lifestyle; thus, preventive interventions are essential.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-026-26486-2.

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