Stay healthy through your studies: University of Siegen launches health initiative!

Stay healthy through your studies: University of Siegen launches health initiative!

With its new Student Health Management (SGM) project, the University of Siegen has launched a decisive initiative to promote the health of its students. In collaboration with the Techniker Krankenkasse, this program is intended to strengthen physical as well as mental and social health resources. This is happening against the background of the 2023 health report, which shows a worrying deterioration in the health of students since the corona pandemic. According to this report, 68% of the 1,000 students surveyed said they had experienced stress and felt exhausted in the last 12 months, a clear sign of the need for action.

The SGM is supported by the Techniker Krankenkasse for a period of three years and aims to not only better network existing offers, but also to develop new health-promoting measures. These should be designed in close consultation with the students in order to directly incorporate their needs and suggestions. In a first workshop, the first guidelines were defined in collaboration with students and representatives of the Techniker Krankenkasse. Project leader Laura Zimmermann emphasizes the central role of students: “The active exchange and participation of our students is crucial.”

Planned measures to promote health

One focus of health management is on designing a healthy campus and improving the networking of existing health-promoting offerings. The students themselves identified exams as the biggest stress factor and expressed suggestions for improvement, ranging from better design of green spaces to ergonomic furniture.

• Geplante Maßnahmen des SGM sind:
• Gesundheitsförderliche Campusgestaltung
• Verbesserung der Vernetzung von Gesundheitsangeboten
• Kick-Off-Event im Sommersemester mit interaktiven Angeboten
• Ein Wegweiser zu bestehenden Bewegungs-, Entspannungskursen und Beratungsangeboten
• Schaffung zusätzlicher Angebote

The implementation of the SGM is carried out under the supervision of the university's central sports and exercise unit and is seen as a cross-sectional task across all faculties. This is intended to strengthen not only the physical fitness but also the psychological well-being of the students.

Background and context

The need for such health management is supported by numerous studies pointing to the burdens of the Bologna reform. According to these studies, students experience more stress than their peers who are not studying. The frequency of mental illnesses and the prescription of psychotropic drugs show how far-reaching the consequences are. In addition, social support from fellow students and teachers is perceived as inadequate, which further exacerbates the situation.

In order to introduce student health management, a comprehensive inventory of the current situation is required. Proven survey methods such as university surveys and focus groups should help to better understand the needs of students and to develop targeted measures based on this. The Competence Center for Healthy Universities notes that a proactive approach to health management is essential to effectively address the challenges students face.

For detailed information and further resources, the websites of the University of Siegen, the Techniker Krankenkasse and the Competence Center for Healthy Universities are available: University of Siegen, Technicians' Health Insurance, Competence center for healthy universities.