Quality of Life (QOL) among University Students in Jordan: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Quality of life (QOL) among university students themselves in Jordan was underestimated.  It was reported that among university students general population, several factors such as the academic overload in addition to the students’ non-school activities may contribute to this situation.  There is a lack of QOL studies among the general university students in Jordan and in the Arabic world. Thus, the aim of this descriptive study was to examine QOL among university students in Jordan. Data were obtained from 119 current university nursing students. The highest Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36 (SF 36) scores were obtained for physical functioning domain (78.1) and the lowest scores were for vitality domain (52.3). The two genders significantly differed in physical functioning (t= -2.44, p= .016). In terms of employment, there were significant differences between employed and not employed students in role physical (t= -2.11, p= .03), social functioning (t= -3.30, p= .001), and bodily pain domains (t= -3.28, p= .001). No significant differences in terms of grade point average (GPA). This study provides preliminary about nursing student’s quality of life in Jordan. Findings will serve as a basis for Arab researchers to conduct future intervention studies.

Keywords: students, quality of life, employment, gender.