Financial vulnerability and dietary diversity are associated with mental health and academic performance among Bangladeshi university students

Abstract

Mental health problems and academic underperformance among university students are important public health and educational concerns, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where financial hardship and dietary inadequacy may coexist. This study examined levels of financial vulnerability and dietary diversity, the prevalence of psychological distress, and their associations with mental health status and academic performance. A cross-sectional survey of 400 undergraduates was conducted in March 2026 across four public universities in northern Bangladesh, using a multistage design that involved purposive university selection followed by stratified random sampling of eligible students. Financial vulnerability was measured using an eight-item Financial Vulnerability Index (FVI), dietary diversity using the twelve-group Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and academic performance using self-reported Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Ordered probit regression was used to model PHQ-9 severity, while ordinary least squares regression with heteroskedasticity-robust standard errors was used to model CGPA, adjusting for sociodemographic and behavioral covariates. Overall, 48.8% of students screened positive for probable major depressive disorder. Higher financial vulnerability was significantly associated with greater depression severity, whereas higher dietary diversity was associated with lower depression severity. Poorer mental health status, higher financial vulnerability, and lower dietary diversity were also independently associated with lower CGPA. These findings suggest that student wellbeing in Bangladeshi public universities may be linked to both economic and nutritional conditions. University-level support systems may benefit from integrating need-based financial assistance, affordable nutritious food provision, and routine mental health screening, while future longitudinal and intervention-based studies are needed to evaluate causal relationships.