Procrastinators beware! Study finds putting off tasks leads to poorer health outcomes in students

Jan. 5—STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Procrastinators beware: A new study found the art of putting off responsibilities to the last moment could have significant health impacts.

Researchers followed more than 3,000 Swedish university students to better understand the link between procrastination and subsequent outcomes, according to the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Students self-reported procrastination levels on a one to five scale using an online survey, ranging from "very rarely" to "very often," followed by three check-ins, including a 16-point health follow-up nine months later.

That checkup included assessing mental health problems and physical issues like back pain and poor sleep quality.

The team found higher levels of procrastination were connected to greater average levels of stress, disabling pain in the upper extremities and even more economic difficulties.

There was not a clear association between holding off responsibilities until the last moment and other issues like lower-body pain or increased alcohol and tobacco use, the researchers said.

The authors noted, however, that its study cohort was not fully representative of the overall Swedish student population, making it unclear if the results could be generalized for the wider student body and students in other countries. Additionally, the research relied on self-reported symptoms, potentially weakening the results.

"This cohort study of Swedish university students suggests that procrastination is associated with subsequent mental health problems, disabling pain, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, and worse psychosocial health factors," the study authors wrote.

The study estimated at least half of university students engage in consistent procrastination, like pushing off papers until the last minute and avoiding studying until the night before.

"Considering that procrastination is prevalent among university students, these findings may be of importance to enhance the understanding of students' health," continued the researchers.

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