Interconnected Pathways: The Associations of Insufficient Physical Activity and Unhealthy Diet with Students' Cardiometabolic and Mental Health Outcomes
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutritional Epidemiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 April 2026 | Viewed by 454
Special Issue Editors
Interests: epidemiology and public health; lifestyle; nutrition; sleep disorders and sleep medicine; physical activity; sedentary behavior; mental health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. Instituto Superior de Educación Física, Universidad de la República, Rivera 40000, Uruguay
Interests: physical activity; nutrition; lifestyle behaviors; physical fitness; mental health; cardiometabolic health; epidemiology and public health
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Insufficient physical activity and unhealthy dietary habits are two major lifestyle risk factors affecting students’ cardiometabolic and mental health outcomes. As childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood are critical periods in establishing long-term health behaviors, understanding the individual and combined effects of these behaviors is essential in guiding prevention and intervention strategies.
For this Special Issue, we welcome epidemiological studies exploring the associations of physical inactivity and poor diet with outcomes such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular risk, depression, anxiety, and cognitive function. We encourage cross-sectional and longitudinal research assessing their prevalence, determinants, and trends across different student populations.
Additionally, we invite studies investigating the mechanistic pathways linking these behaviors to adverse health effects, as well as intervention-based research evaluating strategies to improve students’ physical activity and dietary habits. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses synthesizing current evidence are also encouraged.
By integrating findings from diverse perspectives, this Special Issue will enhance our understanding of these interconnected pathways and support the development of effective public health initiatives targeting students at different educational levels.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Arthur Eumann Mesas
Dr. Bruno Bizzozero Peroni
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- physical activity
- physical fitness
- nutrition
- dietary habit
- cardiometabolic health
- cardiovascular risk
- obesity
- metabolic syndrome
- mental health
- depression
- anxiety
- cognitive function
- academic achievement
- epidemiological studies
- public health
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