A Causal Model of Curriculum and Instruction, Physical and Mental Health, Housing, Social Relationships, and Internal Environment Affecting the Quality of Life of Undergraduate Students at a University

Abstract

This research article aimed to develop and examine the goodness-of-fit of the model of curriculum and instruction, physical and mental health, housing, social relationships, and the internal environment affecting the quality of life of undergraduate students at a university. This study employed a quantitative research approach. The population and sample consisted of 2,220 undergraduate students at a university in the 2025 academic year. The population was distributed across four faculties: Faculty 1 (529 students), Faculty 2 (1,482 students), Faculty 3 (138 students), and Faculty 4
(71 students). The sample size was determined based on 20 times the 32 observed variables, resulting in 640 samples. A total of 630 questionnaires were successfully collected, representing 98.44 percent. The research instrument was a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the goodness-of-fit between the hypothesized model and the empirical data was examined. The results revealed that the hypothesized model was consistent with the empirical data, with the following fit indices: Chi-Square/df = 1.072, Chi-Square = 391.221, P = 0.165, GFI = 0.963, AGFI = 0.946, CFI = 0.998, and RMSEA = 0.011. The results of the model analysis indicated that the internal university environment and social relationships had a positive direct effect on the quality of life of students at the 0.05 level of statistical significance. The findings suggest that, for universities located at regional campuses, improving students' quality of life should focus on enhancing the internal university environment together with promoting social relationships among students, which will help students achieve a better quality of life.