Global evidence on health-related quality of life assessment among in university students: a scoping review of instruments and study characteristics

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is a multidimensional construct measured through a Patient-Reported Outcome Measure, influenced by the context in which an individual is situated. In the context of university students, the academic environment plays a pivotal role in shaping behaviors that can impact their HRQoL. Given the importance of assessing HRQoL in this population, which is considered vulnerable to the development of disorders that negatively impact quality of life, this study aims to conduct a scoping review to systematize existing research according to the methodological use of HRQoL instruments. This will allow access to publication-level information, participant-related characteristics, and HRQoL instrument characteristics that contribute to standardizing and adapting interventions to assess HRQoL in this population. It will also provide a theoretical foundation to guide future research. This scoping review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The research was conducted in five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus). Following the screening process, a total of 238 articles were included in the final review. Most studies were written in English (87.39%), had predominantly female participants (61.96%), employed cross-sectional designs (80.25%), were concentrated in Asia 36.97%, and used the WHOQOL-BREF and SF-36 instruments (63.02%). In most cases, HRQoL was assessed only once using full instruments, with data collected either online or in person and validated translated versions. The synthesis of these findings advances our understanding of HRQoL in adult university students and contributes to building a solid theoretical foundation.