Health Promotion in the University Setting: A Scoping Review

Purpose: This scoping review aimed at describing the health promotion initiatives of universities. Data Source: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Studies were included if they: (a) explicitly referred to higher education or university; (b) focused on improving the health and well-being of the university community; (c) described a specific health promotion intervention or broader university strategies and policies for health promotion without a specific intervention; (d) were available in full text in English or Italian; (e) were published between 01/01/2015 and 02/04/2024. Data Extraction: The following data were considered: country in which the study was conducted, target population, number of subjects involved, study design, aim of the study, interventions developed, main results. Data Synthesis: A narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Thirty-six studies were included in the final synthesis; they were mostly conducted in Europe (30.6%) and in the Western Pacific Region (25%). Seven studies described multiple interventions as part of the Health Promoting University network. Eleven studies examined health promotion interventions implemented as part of health-promoting strategies defined at the university level. Mental health and psychological well-being represent the most common area of intervention (52.8%). Conclusion: Although significant progress has been achieved in implementing health-promoting initiatives within universities, challenges remain regarding the full integration of health promotion into the broader university culture.