Cross sectional study comparing the Quality of Life, Academic stress, Ethnic identification and Alcohol use of Norwegian and international students and examining the relationship between these variables

Abstract

Background: An important part of the Norwegian higher educational system is international students who provide benefits through cultural exchange but who also face many challenges. To continue to attract international students, Norway must provide an environment conducive to their high quality of life, but little is known about their quality of life. Aim: The purpose of this study is to compare the quality of life, academic stress, ethnic identity and alcohol use of Norwegian and international students in Norway and to examine the relationships between these variables. Methods: An online survey quantified and gathered details from 83 Norwegian students and 111 international students about their quality of life, academic stress, ethnic identity, alcohol use, examinations, study hours, working hours and demographics gender, age, country of birth, citizenship, employment and relationship status. The two groups’ quality of life was compared and the relationships between their quality of life and the other variables were explored. Results: This study has found out that both international and Norwegian students reported similarities in their quality of life, alcohol use and ethnic identification but their academic stress levels differed as International students reported higher cumulative academic stress levels than Norwegian students. Conclusion: Academic stress may have an important negative effect on the quality of life of higher education students. This study highlights the need to compare the quality of life, academic stress, ethnic identification and alcohol use of domestic and international students across the world by conducting a longitudinal study on the quality of life, academic stress, ethnic identification and alcohol use of university students to suggest the factors responsible for causing changes in quality of life of university students.