With the recent widespread use of social networking services (SNS), non-face-to-face communication has become increasingly common among younger generations, including university students. This study aimed to clarify the relation between university students’ face-to-face and non-face-to-face interactions and their subjective well-being. An online survey was conducted targeting university students nationwide, and the responses were analyzed based on three categories of interaction partners: close friends at the same university (n=340), classmates at the same university (n=347) and friends outside the university (n=353). The results indicated that both face-to-face communication and text-based non-face-to-face communication were primarily used with close friends and classmates at the same university, as well as with friends outside the university. Subjective well-being tended to be higher among students who interacted more frequently and tended to be lower lower among those who interacted less frequently. This relation was consistent for both face-to-face and text-based non-face-to-face communication. These findings suggest that text-based non-face-to-face communication may contribute to subjective well-being in a manner similar to face-to-face communication.

Regarding the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, there are concerns about the risk of lasting effects, especially among young people. In this study, we aimed to clarify the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic experience on the mental health of university students in the post-pandemic era and conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey and analyzed 331 responses. As a result, the experiences during the pandemic, such as general activity restrictions, self-growth or the importance of family and friends, infection prevention behaviors or restrictions of conversations with friends, reunion with family, new learning methods, or new hobbies and activities, were significantly associated with better mental health and resilience in the post-pandemic period. These results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic experience may have a positive impact on the mental health of university students in the post-pandemic era.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of using posters to provide blood donation information on university students’ willingness to donate blood. The participants were 175 nursing students (mean age 19.42 ± 1.13 years) at University A in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Posters displaying blood donation information and the blood inventory status published by the Japanese Red Cross Society were placed inside elevators for two weeks. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey was conducted. Of the 175 students, 29 (16.6%) had previous blood donation experience, and 146 (83.4%) had none; 72 (41.1%) had attended a lecture on blood donation, while 103 (58.9%) had not. Both experiences were significantly less common. During the survey period, 122 students (69.7%) used the elevator, and among them, 64 (52.5%) viewed the posters. Among those with blood donation experience and those with lecture attendance experience, a higher proportion had viewed the poster. This suggests that individuals with blood donation or lecture attendance experience may be more likely to pay attention to blood donation information. Factor analysis (maximum likelihood method with Promax rotation) of 13 blood donation information items identified three factors: “Understanding of Knowledge and Systems,” “Blood Donation Process and Precautions,” and “Blood Donation Service Information.” Multiple regression analysis, with “intention to donate blood within the next six months” as the dependent variable and “academic year,” “blood donation experience,” “lecture attendance,” and the three factors as independent variables, showed that blood donation intention was significantly associated with “blood donation experience,” “understanding of knowledge and systems,” and “blood donation process and precautions” (adjusted R² = .34), whereas “academic year,” “lecture attendance,” and “blood donation service information” were not significant. Furthermore, content analysis of reasons why poster displays increased interest revealed that visualization of blood type shortages and real-time information enhanced the perceived necessity of donation. These findings suggest that early and continuous education on blood donation, combined with information that helps individuals perceive donation as personally relevant, may be effective in promoting blood donation behavior.