Background

Higher education students’ lifestyle profiles are closely associated with their health, well‑being, and academic participation, making their monitoring particularly relevant in higher education settings. This study describes and compares the lifestyle profiles of students from the Polytechnic of Porto (P.Porto, North of Portugal) in two consecutive academic years, 2024 and 2025. ​

Objective

The objective was to characterise students’ lifestyles and to compare lifestyle dimensions between independent samples of P.Porto students assessed in 2024 and 2025. ​

Methods

A cross‑sectional, observational and analytical design was used. Lifestyle was assessed using the “FANTASTICO Lifestyle” questionnaire, administered to a convenience sample of 745 students in 2024 and 469 students in 2025. Data were collected through self‑report and analysed using descriptive statistics and between‑group inferential tests appropriate for independent samples. ​

Results

The 2025 student sample showed higher overall lifestyle scores and more favourable profiles in most lifestyle dimensions compared with the 2024 sample. Improvements were particularly evident in physical activity, sleep and stress management, and introspection, while less favourable patterns were observed in tobacco use and indications of higher alcohol consumption, especially among students living away from home or combining study and employment. ​

Conclusion

This cross‑sectional comparison suggests that, although several aspects of students’ lifestyles became more favourable between 2024 and 2025, there were simultaneous indications of increased tobacco use and a tendency towards higher alcohol consumption in specific subgroups. These findings underline the importance of reinforcing health‑promotion strategies in higher education, with particular attention to students who are displaced from home or engaged in employment alongside their studies. For Occupational Therapy, the observed patterns are relevant because lifestyle factors are closely linked to students’ ability to engage meaningfully in everyday occupations such as studying, self‑care, and social participation, highlighting opportunities for targeted, evidence‑informed interventions that support sustainable health habits and occupational performance.