Healthy lifestyle culture in universities as institutional normativity: a sociological systematic review

Background Student wellbeing has become an important focus of higher education research; however, existing studies remain largely behavior-oriented and provide limited explanation of how health-related practices are socially produced within university environments. This study aimed to examine how institutional normativity, social norms, and organizational contexts shape healthy lifestyle practices among university students from a sociological perspective. Methods A PRISMA-informed systematic review was conducted using Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, Sociological Abstracts, and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies published between 2010 and 2025. Following a structured selection process, 64 studies were included in the final thematic synthesis. Results The findings indicate that students’ practices related to sleep, stress management, physical activity, help-seeking, and substance use are socially organized rather than purely individual behaviors. Universities shape these practices by establishing cultural expectations, institutional routines, and organizational conditions that normalize productivity, digital over-availability, and chronic stress while simultaneously influencing unequal opportunities to maintain healthy lifestyles across different student groups. Conclusion The review demonstrates that student wellbeing is embedded within broader processes of institutional governance, social stratification, and everyday practice rather than individual responsibility alone. By integrating fragmented evidence into a coherent sociological framework, this review advances understanding of universities as active producers of student health practices and highlights the importance of institutional approaches for promoting sustainable student wellbeing.