Stressors among Undergraduate First-Year Medical Students at a Nigerian Private University: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study
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Background: Stressors among medical students have been observed as a pervasive problem in recent times. This has continued to be a devastating challenge affecting students’ academic performance as well as their general well-being. The main objective of this study is to examine the factors that cause stress among first-year undergraduate medical students at a Nigerian private university.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. An adaptation of the Burge University Student Stress Scale was used to develop the questionnaire. 224 first-year medical students enrolled in the College of Medicine and Health Sciences of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, were sampled. Data were collected and analysed using SPSS software.
Results: The mean age of the students was 17.30 ± 1.05 years. The majority were girls (72.2%), Christians (85.8%), less than 18 years old (69.8%), and received a monthly allowance of less than 60000 (85.4%) Nigerian Naira (₦). Getting good enough grades for the next level (65.1%), fear of failure (67.0%), fear of disappointing the family (62.8%), getting access to the internet (57.5%), food served at the university cafeteria (67.0%), electricity supply (61.3%), and water supply (71.7%) were some of the stressors identified.
Conclusion: This study found the number of materials to study, getting good enough grades for the next level, fear of failing, and disappointing family amongst others as sources of stress among first-year medical students.
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