Quality of Life Among University and Nursing Students in Albania: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Quality of life among students in health-related and university programmes is shaped by academic demands, time constraints, psychological wellbeing, physical health, and the educational environment. Evidence from medical and nursing education shows that student wellbeing is a relevant academic and public-health concern. Objective: To assess quality of life among university students at Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës and nursing students at the University of Medicine in Tirana, Albania, using an adapted VERAS-Q questionnaire. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered from January to April 2026. The questionnaire included sociodemographic variables and 45 VERAS-Q items scored on a five-point Likert scale. Negatively worded items were reverse-scored, and total and domain scores were transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher values indicating better perceived quality of life. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 28.0. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Results: A total of 446 responses were analysed; 445 participants had a computable VERAS-Q total score. Mean age was 24.0 ± 8.4 years, median age was 22.0 (20.0-23.0) years, and most respondents were female (402/446, 90.1%). The mean total VERAS-Q score was 60.8 ± 12.1. Domain scores were highest for physical health (67.5 ± 16.9) and learning environment (64.8 ± 12.8), and lowest for time management (55.0 ± 13.8). No statistically significant differences in total or domain scores were observed by sex or educational level. Conclusion: The adapted VERAS-Q showed strong internal consistency and identified time management and psychological wellbeing as the main areas requiring institutional attention. The findings support the use of structured student-wellbeing monitoring in Albanian higher education, while further validation work is recommended.