Assessing the quality of life of university students during COVID-19 lockdown: A structural equation modelling approach

Abstract

Purpose In the face of the upsurge of the COVID-19 pandemic global students including those of Bangladesh are forced to go into distance learning mode due to the lockdown or social isolation that is being imposed. The present study was intended to evaluate the impact of distance education on the quality of life (QOL) among Bangladeshi university students that are exerted due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods We used the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-Bref questionnaire which was distributed among students from four universities in Bangladesh using electronic platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Email. The scores of the WHOQOL-Bref were converted into a linear scale from 0 to 100 and recorded (0–70) as low/moderate quality of life whereas (≥ 70) were coded as high quality of life. Results The study obtained an excellent internal consistency of WHOQOL-Bref (α = 0.878). The mean QOL (0-100) among the participants was 78.29 ± 11.59 with a median of (73.35, IQR: 42.53–88.30). All domains showed a strong to moderate correlation with the overall quality of life score. The domain most affected by isolation was the psychological domain, and the social relationship domain showed the weakest correlation with the overall quality of life scores. In the regression analysis, factors such as increased Internet use, watching more TV, participating in classes with zooms, and residing with a family of more than three members were found to be associated with having a good quality of life. Conclusions The study pointed out that, while there are no alternatives to keep the educational system functioning thus distance learning during this overwhelming COVID-19 situation, more interactive platforms such as Zoom, the promotion of more internet and television use can be of value to retain the good quality of life among the students in this overwhelming condition.