Life Satisfaction and Academic Engagement in Chileans Undergraduate Students of the University of Atacama

Abstract

The growing problem of mental health in the university population, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, has generated the need to consider positive variables to address this situation. Life satisfaction and academic engagement are two constructs that emerge as conceptual tools oriented in this direction. The present study sought to describe the effect of academic engagement on life satisfaction in a sample of Chilean university students. A cross-sectional co-relational design was used. A total of 370 university students participated, 72.4% female and 27.6% male, aged beitive effect of engagement on life satisfaction was demonstrated, where the dimensions vigor (β = 0.462; p < 0.01) and dedication (β = 0.465; p < 0.01) acted as significant predictors (χ2 = 87.077, gl = 32, p < 0.01; χ2/gl = 2.721; CFI = 975; TLI = 0.964; RMSEA = 0.068). The proposed model showed factorial invariance according to sex. The usefulness of employing these constructs as a way to manage the well-being and mental health of students in university institutions is discussed.