24-h Movement Guideline Adherence and Mental Health in University Students: Patterns Across Adherence Levels and Academic Fields

Adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines (24-HMG), which integrate physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviour, and sleep, may be relevant to university students’ mental health, yet evidence in this population remains limited. This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate adherence to the 24-HMG, identify associated correlates, and examine whether meeting a greater number of guidelines was associated with more favourable mental health profiles in Spanish university students. A total of 1469 students (mean age = 21.6 ± 3.14 years; 71% women) completed validated self-report measures of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep duration, psychological distress, self-esteem, and resilience. Adherence was defined according to the Canadian adult 24-HMG, and a global adherence index (0–3) was calculated. Concurrent adherence to all three guidelines was low and varied markedly across academic fields, ranging from 22% in Sport Sciences to 1.6% in Engineering and Architecture. Women showed lower odds of meeting the physical activity recommendation and of meeting all three guidelines. Greater adherence was associated with a lower likelihood of unfavourable mental health profiles, particularly low self-esteem and low resilience. These findings suggest that adherence to the 24-HMG was low in this sample of university students and support the development of integrated, context-tailored interventions targeting movement behaviours and mental health in university settings.