Stress and Its Associated Factors among First Year Students of a University of Health Sciences in Southern India: A Descriptive Survey

Introduction: Stress is a common issue affecting individuals across various demographics. Undergraduate students in healthcare professions experience stress due to academic expectations and other reasons as well. First year students, in particular, face multiple challenges adjusting to new educational, social, and environmental demands, leading to stress that can impact well-being and academic performance. Aim: To assess stress levels and identify factors contributing to stress among first year undergraduate students at a University of Health Sciences. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive survey design was conducted in Mangaluru, Karnataka, India from July 2023 to May 2024. The study involved 70 first year students selected from 260 students pursuing B.Sc. Nursing, Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) and Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharma). Stress levels were assessed using the Student Stress Inventory (SSI), and contributing factors were measured using a structured checklist of factors, including 30 items that would assess interpersonal, intrapersonal, environmental, health, and academic factors associated with stress. Descriptive data was analysed using frequency and percentage. Chi square test was used to find association between stress, factors related to it and demographic variables. Results: The mean age of students was 18.42±0.80 years, the majority (38.5%), were from B.Sc nursing and BPT, 64.6% were females; as for the place of residence, the majority (80.8%) were residing in hostels. Among the students, 62.3% reported mild stress, 36.9% moderate stress, and 0.8% severe stress. The study identified several factors leading to stress, including homesickness (16.5%), sleeping patterns (20.8%), academic pressure (20.8%), and concerns about grades (21.5%). A significant association was found between stress levels and selected demographic variables (p