The Association Between Perceived Stress and Quality of Life in University Students: The Parallel Mediating Role of Depressive Symptoms and Health-Promoting Behaviors

Purpose: This study examined whether depressive symptoms and health-promoting lifestyle behaviors mediate the association between perceived stress and quality of life (QoL) in university students. Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey, Korean university students (N = 187, M_age = 23.97 years; 54.0% Woman) completed structured questionnaires with psychometric adequacy. A parallel multiple mediation model was used to test the mediating effect of depressive symptoms and health-promoting lifestyle behaviors on the relationship between perceived stress and QoL. Results: Total effect of perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and health-promoting lifestyle behaviors on QoL was −.55. Of these, total indirect mediating effect was −.50, whereas direct effect was only −.05 in the parallel mediation model. In particular, depressive symptoms (indirect effect = −.32) and health-promoting lifestyle behaviors (indirect effect = −.18) completely mediated the relationship between perceived stress and QoL. Conclusion: The results suggest that effective strategies primarily focusing on improving depressive symptoms along with health behaviors are needed to decrease the negative effect of perceived stress on QoL.