scholarly journals Perceived Stress Levels and Stressors in Undergraduate Pharmacy Students’ at a Nigerian Tertiary Institution

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-30
Author(s):  
F.I. Auwal ◽  
Z.A. Tukur ◽  
S.N. Abdu-Aguye ◽  
H.U. Ma’aji

Background: While everyone can be affected by stress, there is evidence to suggest that students might be more prone.Objective: To assess perceived stress levels and well-being among undergraduate pharmacy students’ of Ahmadu Bello University, in addition to identifying common stressors and coping mechanisms used by the students.Methods: A survey was conducted on second to fifth year undergraduate pharmacy students of the institution from August to November 2019. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data about the students’ socio-demographic characteristics, stress levels (Perceived Stress Scale-10), well-being (World Health Organization-5 well-being index), stressors and coping strategies. Student t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson’s bivariate correlation were used to compare means and correlations between variables. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.Results: Of the 350-questionnaire distributed, 328 were returned producing a 93.7% response rate. Majority of respondents were males (63.1%), and in their third year of study (29.3%). The mean PSS-10 score was 18.4 ± 4.9, and a statistically significant difference in scores were seen across gender (p= 0.001). Over half of the participants (72.8%) also scored 51% or higher on the WHO-5 index. Their most common stressors were volume of course materials 184 (56.1%) and financial constraints 158 (48.2%) respectively. More than half of respondents (64.5%) also sought for emotional support from their families to cope with stress. A statistically significant (p<0.001) negative weak correlation (-0.3) was seen when PSS-10 and WHO-5 scores were compared.Conclusion: Perceived stress levels in female undergraduate pharmacy students were higher than those in their male counterparts, and most of the students had at least good well-being.

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (10) ◽  
pp. 2168-2177
Author(s):  
Ellen Moseholm ◽  
Marie Helleberg ◽  
Håkon Sandholdt ◽  
Terese L Katzenstein ◽  
Merete Storgaard ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Exposures to human immunodeficiency (HIV) and antiretroviral therapy in utero may have adverse effects on infant growth. Among children born in Denmark and aged 0–5 years, we aimed to compare anthropometric outcomes in HIV-exposed but uninfected (HEU) children with those in children not exposed to HIV. Methods In a nationwide register-based study we included all singleton HEU children born in Denmark in 2000–2016. HEU children were individually matched by child sex, parity, and maternal place of birth to 5 singleton controls born to mothers without HIV. Weight-for-age z (WAZ) scores, length-for-age z (LAZ) scores, and weight-for-length or body mass index–for–age z scores were generated according to the World Health Organization standards and the Fenton growth chart for premature infants. Differences in mean z scores were analyzed using linear mixed models, both univariate and adjusted for social and maternal factors. Results In total, 485 HEU children and 2495 HIV-unexposed controls were included. Compared with controls, HEU children were smaller at birth, with an adjusted difference in mean WAZ and LAZ scores of −0.29 (95% confidence interval [CI], −.46 to −.12) and −0.51 (95% CI, −.71 to −.31), respectively (both P ≤ .001). Over time, there was a trend toward increasing WAZ and LAZ scores in HEU children, and there was no significant difference in adjusted WAZ scores after age 14 days (−0.13 [95% CI, −.27 to .01]; P = .07) and LAZ scores after age 6 months (−0.15 [95% CI, −.32 to .02]; P = .08). Conclusion Compared with a matched control group, HEU children were smaller at birth, but this difference decreased with time and is not considered to have a negative effect on the health and well-being of HEU children during early childhood.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 274-278
Author(s):  
Andrea V. Fuentes ◽  
Robin J. Jacobs ◽  
Eric Ip ◽  
Ryan E. Owens ◽  
Joshua Caballero

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study was to investigate the significant contributions of coping, resilience, personal characteristics, and health behaviors on the emotional well-being of pharmacy students during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 was identified in December 2019 and declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Pharmacy students may experience greater stress during this outbreak because of interruptions in classes or rotations, concerns regarding personal or family health, and social isolation from peers. These changes may result in behavior shifts, difficulty concentrating, and increased use of negative coping strategies. The extent to which these factors affect overall student well-being during a pandemic is largely unknown. Methods A cross-sectional study of 3 colleges of pharmacy was completed during May to July 2020 via an online, anonymous 64-item questionnaire using REDCap software. Linear regression and descriptive statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 26. Results Using the enter method, levels of coping strategies, personal resilience, and Hispanic ethnic identity explain 29% of the variance in emotional well-being scores in pharmacy students during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic (F (2,76) = 11.785, P &lt; .000, R2 = 0.317, R2adjusted = 0.291). For this sample (N = 104), higher levels of resilience, greater use of coping strategies, and identifying as Hispanic were significant predictors of emotional well-being. Discussion Student mental health continues to be important, especially during crises and pandemics. Therefore, pharmacy programs should cultivate an environment that supports the emotional well-being of their students. Campus-based initiatives may be needed to encourage healthy coping behaviors and bolster students' personal resilience to better prepare them for providing front-line patient care in the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e000244
Author(s):  
Rajesh Kumar Sahu ◽  
Sunil Kumar ◽  
Pankaj Yadav

Background: The World Health Organization defines - Health as a “state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Methodology: A cross sectional study on 96 patients with stroke aged more than 30 years was carried out NIMS Hospital, Jaipur for a period of 4 months from 1st January 2018 to 30th April 2018. Results: Out of 96 patients, Mean quality of score of patients with stroke was 65.04±9.982 there was significant difference seen in quality of life score according to sex, side of lesion, duration of stroke, socioeconomic status, occupation and hypertension. Conclusions: It can be said that quality of life is a multidimensional concept. As stroke cases is among the most devastating of health aspect, having multiple and profound effects upon all aspects of life, hence evaluation of quality of life is very important. Each and every effort should be made to improve these aspects and in turn to activity daily living (ADL) and improve the overall quality of stroke patients.


Author(s):  
Nagarani Veeraboina ◽  
Dolar Doshi ◽  
Suhas Kulkarni ◽  
Shiva Kumar Patanapu ◽  
Satya Narayana Danatala ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundCoping strategies are highly mediated by the environment, in particular when the person deals with the obstacles and impediments to fulfill their goals. This study aimed to investigate the Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies among Undergraduate Dental Students of Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences Hyderabad, India.Materials and MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out among 267 undergraduate dental students. The survey tool comprised of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Brief COPE Scale along with demographic variables. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 20.0.ResultsBased on gender, females had high PSS mean scores (23.8±7.3) than males and to overwhelm these stress levels most of the students followed adaptive coping strategies (40.4±7.8) with no significant difference. But, significant difference noted for maladaptive coping dimension “denial” (p=0.004). On comparison between year of study, higher perceived stress was noted among second year students (26.7± 5.8), and least among first years (21.6±7). In order to defeat the stressors most of the second year undergraduate students used adaptive coping strategies. However, highest mean adaptive coping scores were noted among first years (41.6±7.5) and least scores observed among fourth years (38.6±9.2). However, total PSS score showed significant positive correlation (p<0.001) with maladaptive coping strategies.ConclusionFemales and second year students perceived more stress levels, to overtake those stressors most of them followed adaptive coping strategies. Hence, institutional authorities should take measures to decrease the stress levels and encourage the students to adopt healthy life style such as meditation and exercise to beat their stressors.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Asma Parveen ◽  
Sufiya Khan

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and absence of disease. According to world health organization (WHO) mental health is a form of well-being where a person can recognize his / her own power, can overcome their daily stressful life and able to contribute his or her own society. Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by many hormonal changes, brain, and physical development, emotional and behavioral development. Mentally healthy children and adolescents enjoy their lives positively; they function well at home, school and their community. While visually impaired (absence of visual ability or loss of perception of visual stimuli) adolescents experience severe psychological and behavioral problems especially during adolescent period. The objective of the present study is to compare the normal and visually challenged adolescents in terms of mental health. For measuring the mental health of both groups well-being scale (WEMWBS) was administered. The data was collected from blind school (Ahmadi school) and Aligarh Public School (N=100). For the statistical analysis t test was used. The result of this study revealed that there was a significant difference between both the groups of normal and visually challenged adolescents on mental health.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Sing-Kiat Ting ◽  
Yue-Yun Aw Yong ◽  
Min-Min Tan ◽  
Chee-Khong Yap

Many psychological researchers have proven the deteriorating effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic on public mental health. In Malaysia, various Covid-19 clusters were associated with religious gatherings. From a cultural psychology perspective, how ethno-religious groups respond to this crisis originating from their unique rationality and ecological systems. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the illness perceptions of major religious groups (Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist) in Malaysia toward the Covid-19 pandemic, their stress levels, and the relationship between illness perception, stress, and forms of religious expression during the lockdown period. Through an online survey method, 608 Malaysian religious believers were included in this mixed-method empirical study, which adapted standardized instruments [Duke University Religion Index (DUREL), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)]. Statistical analysis showed that all three groups reported moderate levels of stress in average without any significant difference after controlling for age. Both internal and external forms of religious expression had a significant negative relationship with stress levels. Personal control, comprehension, and emotions domains of illness perception accounted for a significant variance in the stress level. Furthermore, religious expression significantly moderated the relationship between some illness perception domains and stress. Qualitative coding revealed that most participants perceived human behavior and attitudes, sociopolitical, and sociological factors as causal factors to the current pandemic. These findings confirmed the relationship between religious expression, illness belief, and stress regulation during the pandemic lockdown. Incidental findings of age as a potential protective factor for Malaysian believers warrants further study. In the conclusion, implications for public health policymakers and religious communities on pandemic prevention and well-being promotion were discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-81
Author(s):  
Hamidreza Shirzadfar ◽  
Narsis Gordoghli

In recent years, chronic medical problems have become increasingly prevalent. Chronic ‎illnesses challenge the view of life as a regular and continuous process, a challenge that has ‎important psychological consequences. The long duration of people suffering from these ‎diseases, the long process of treatment and the fact that there is no proper and definitive ‎treatment for most of these diseases and their associated complications have made chronic ‎diseases a detrimental factor in public health. According to the World Health Organization ‎‎(2006), the prevalence of chronic and non-communicable diseases is increasing in all countries, ‎especially developing countries, so that the major challenge for the health system in the present ‎century, is not living people, but better adapted to chronic illnesses and maintaining their ‎mental and social health and well-being Ed's life-threatening chronic physical illness.‎ Chronic pain is a pain that lasts longer than usual, and according to the criteria of the ‎International Association of Pain, this time is defined as at least 3 months to 6 months. Chronic ‎pain is such that not only faced the sick person whit the pressure of the pain but also with many ‎other pressure that affect different parts of her life. Fibromyalgia is one of the most rheumatologic disorders and one of the most resistant chronic ‎pain syndromes. Fibromyalgia is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in adults ‎and chronic pain is one of the most common complaints in this group of patients.


Author(s):  
Kirti Sundar Sahu ◽  
Arlene Oetomo ◽  
Niloofar Jalali ◽  
Plinio P. Morita

The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. To inhibit the spread of COVID-19, governments around the globe, including Canada, have implemented physical distancing and lockdown measures, including a work-from-home policy. Canada in 2020 has developed a 24-Hour Movement Guideline for all ages laying guidance on the ideal amount of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep (PASS) for an individual in a day. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes on the household and population-level in lifestyle behaviours (PASS) and time spent indoors at the household level, following the implementation of physical distancing protocols and stay-at-home guidelines. For this study, we used 2019 and 2020 data from ecobee, a Canadian smart Wi-Fi thermostat company, through the Donate Your Data (DYD) program. Using motion sensors data, we quantified the amount of sleep by using the absence of movement, and similarly, increased sensor activation to show a longer duration of household occupancy. The key findings of this study were; during the COVID-19 pandemic, overall household-level activity increased significantly compared to pre-pandemic times, there was no significant difference between household-level behaviours between weekdays and weekends during the pandemic, average sleep duration has not changed, but the pattern of sleep behaviour significantly changed, specifically, bedtime and wake up time delayed, indoor time spent has been increased and outdoor time significantly reduced. Our data analysis shows the feasibility of using big data to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the household and population-level behaviours and patterns of change.


Author(s):  
Katarzyna Dereń ◽  
Justyna Wyszyńska ◽  
Serhiy Nyankovskyy ◽  
Olena Nyankovska ◽  
Marta Yatsula ◽  
...  

Overweight and obesity, as well as underweight in children and adolescents, pose a significant public health issue. This study aimed to investigate the secular trend of the incidence of underweight, overweight, and obesity in children from Ukraine in 2013/2014 and 2018/2019. The studies were conducted in randomly selected primary and secondary schools in Ukraine. In total, 13,447 children (6468 boys and 6979 girls) participated in the study in 2013/2014 and 18,144 children (8717 boys and 9427 girls) participated in 2018/2019. Measurements of body weight and height were performed in triplicate. Underweight, overweight, and obesity were diagnosed according to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). In the group of girls, a significant difference between 2013/2014 and 2018/2019 measurements was found only among 7-year-olds. The percentage of girls at this age exceeding the body mass index (BMI) norm was lower in the 2018/2019 study. In boys, a significant difference was also found in 7-year-olds, and, as in girls, a lower share of overweight and obesity was found in 2018/2019. But for the ages of 12, 13, and 15, the significant differences had a different character—more overweight or obese boys were found in the 2018/2019 study. The proportion of underweight children was similar for the majority of age groups in both genders and did not differ in a statistically significant way.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002073142110249
Author(s):  
Huriye Toker

As seen clearly from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health is an important foreign policy and diplomatic issue connected with security, economic well-being, and international development. According to risk communication researchers, effective, transparent, and timely information sharing is the most important tool after vaccines for responding to pandemics. This study aims to start a scholarly discussion on the risk communication efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO) during the COVID-19 outbreak. We analyzed WHO’s communication efforts during the first 3 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the leading international health organization, WHO was responsible for providing rapid, up-to-date, and credible information for the public and the media. The selected research items were 42 news releases and statements provided by WHO between December 31, 2019, and March 30, 2020. These were subjected to qualitative and quantitative content analyses using the NVivo 12 qualitative analysis software program for coding. The data were coded under 6 variables (date of publication, topics, frequency, wording of the COVID-19 outbreak, sourcing, and themes of the releases). While 54.7% of WHO's communications were devoted to the COVID-19 outbreak, more than half were not issued until March. That is, instead of early risk communication and clear warnings about the outbreak, WHO acted overcautiously, preferring messages related to solidarity and cooperation during the most devastating pandemic of the 21st century.


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