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2026 - Volume 10 - Number 1

Identifying Well-Being Profiles Among University Students: A Person-Oriented Approach Using Latent Profile Analysis at Sokoine University of Agriculture

Jamal Jumanne Athuman * ORCID: 0000-0001-7038-7907
Sokoine University of Agriculture, School of Education, Morogoro, TANZANIA

Open Journal for Psychological Research, 2026, 10(1), 1-18 * https://doi.org/10.32591/coas.ojpr.1001.01001a
Received: 13 December 2025 ▪ Revised: 12 April 2026 ▪ Accepted: 24 June 2026

LICENCE: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

ARTICLE (Full Text - PDF)

ABSTRACT:
University students face multiple academic, social, and psychological challenges that impact their well-being. This study examined psychological well-being profiles among 322 undergraduate students at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) using a person-oriented approach. Validated instruments assessed resilience (CD-RISC-10), perceived stress (PSS-10), academic self-efficacy, and social connectedness. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) identified three distinct profiles: Flourishing (42%), Struggling but Resilient (36%), and Vulnerable (22%). Flourishing students exhibited high resilience (M = 4.3), low stress (M = 2.1), high self-efficacy (M = 4.5), and high connectedness (M = 4.2), whereas Vulnerable students showed low resilience (M = 2.8), high stress (M = 4.1), low self-efficacy (M = 2.9), and low connectedness (M = 2.6). ANOVA confirmed significant differences across profiles for all indicators (η² = 0.48–0.54, p < .001). College (χ² = 12.34, p = .015) and year of study (F = 6.45, p = .002) significantly predicted profile membership; Veterinary Medicine students were overrepresented in the Struggling but Resilient profile, and first-year students were disproportionately Vulnerable. Gender and age were not significant predictors. Correlational analyses within profiles showed negative associations between stress and resilience (r = -.57 to -.63, p < .001). Findings highlight the heterogeneity of student wellbeing and the need for targeted, College-specific interventions, particularly for first-year and high-stress disciplines. These results underscore the utility of LPA in identifying at-risk students and informing evidence-based counseling, peer-support, and resilience-building programs.

KEY WORDS: person-oriented research, latent profile analysis, psychological well-being, resilience, psychological well-being, perceived stress, academic self-efficacy, social connectedness.

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:
Jamal Jumanne Athuman, Sokoine University of Agriculture, School of Education, Morogoro, TANZANIA

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