Stress Level and Associated Factors among Undergraduates of KIU during Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Undergraduates feel a significant amount of stress due to a variety of factors. The covid-19 pandemic has negatively affected the students to increase their stress. Identification of the stress in the early stage is vital. A descriptive crosssectional study was conducted to investigate the levels of perceived stress and its association with some selected factors among KIU undergraduates during the Covid -19 pandemic. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Ethics review committee, KIU. A pretested questionnaire consisting of 4 sections; demographic data, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Student Stress Survey (SSS) was distributed among the selected population after taking the informed written consent to collect data. A total of 235 responses were received. Majority (67.65%, n=159) were females and were aged between 18-30 years (96.17%, n=226). A Percentage of 71.4 had a moderate level of stress and showed no significant difference between the mean perceived stress score of males and females (p = 0.058). Low levels of interpersonal stressors (47.23%), moderate levels of intrapersonal stressors (42.97%), and high levels of environmental stressors (50.21%) were observed. A significant association was observed between perceived stress and interpersonal stressors, intrapersonal stressors, academic stressors and environmental stressors as (P <0.005). A Moderate positive correlation was observed with sleep quality (R2 = 0.338). No significant difference was observed between mean perceived stress levels and gender. Environmental factors have led to the highest levels of stress and it may be due to the Covid -19 health rules and regulations. Therefore, early detection and remedying of stressors will help to build good physical and mental health among undergraduates.