University Sustainability Initiatives and Student Well-Being: A Systematic Review of Green Space Provision, Sustainable Food Options, and Physical and Mental Health Outcomes at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Student well-being, encompassing physical health, mental health, psychological resilience, and overall quality of life, has become a central concern in global higher education. In Nigerian universities, however, student well-being is increasingly compromised by inadequate health infrastructure, overcrowded academic environments, and persistent socioeconomic stressors that shape both academic performance and daily living conditions. Despite this, limited empirical attention has been given to the role of university sustainability initiatives—such as campus green spaces, sustainable food systems, walkable environments, and biophilic infrastructure—in shaping student well-being outcomes. This study therefore presents a systematic review of the relationship between campus sustainability features and student well-being, using the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) as a focal case study due to its ecological campus design, established green infrastructure, and diverse student population. The review adopts a protocol-driven systematic methodology, including a predefined research question, multi-database search strategy, structured inclusion and exclusion criteria, two-stage screening process, and critical appraisal using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, followed by thematic synthesis. The analysis is guided by an integrated theoretical framework combining the World Health Organization’s holistic model of health, Kaplan and Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. These frameworks collectively explain how environmental conditions, nutritional access, physical activity opportunities, and institutional structures interact to influence student physical and psychological well-being in higher education settings. Findings are synthesised across five thematic domains: the current state of student well-being in Nigerian universities; the ecological and spatial characteristics of the UNN campus environment; evidence linking exposure to green spaces with mental and physical health outcomes; the role of sustainable food provision in shaping nutrition and psychological well-being; and the governance and institutional dimensions of campus sustainability. The review concludes that campus sustainability is a core determinant of student well-being and should be integrated into higher education policy and planning as a foundational component of student welfare and institutional development.