Students’ Mental Health Profiles and Their Association With Health Behaviors and School Satisfaction in Dubai-Based British Curriculum Schools

Abstract

Health behavior, mental health, and school satisfaction are associated in school-aged youth. However, most previous research examining such associations does not account for unique groupings of these variables based on person-centered analyses. This study examined student mental health profiles and their association with health behaviors and school satisfaction. Students (N = 315, Mage = 11.39) from two British curriculum schools in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, self-reported their mental health, physical activity, screentime, sleep quality, dietary habits, and school satisfaction. LPA revealed a four-profile solution as an optimal fit to the data. Significant differences in profile membership were found based on students’ health behavior profiles, health behaviors, school satisfaction, age, and race/ethnicity. All health behaviors except physical activity predicted mental health profiles, and mental health profiles predicted school satisfaction. This study provides initial evidence of distinct mental health profiles that may require customized support in health programming for students in Dubai-based British curriculum schools.