Predictors of Perceived Stress among Medical and Nonmedical College Students, Minia, Egypt

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, stress has been tagged a global phenomenon. Many undergraduate students undergo considerable stress, and a variety of sources of stress have been identified among university students. The aim of this study is to identify the level of perceived stress and its predictors among medical and nonmedical Minia University students. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study comparing between medical and nonmedical students in Minia University, conducted during the period from March to April 2017. The sample consisted of 314 medical and 291 nonmedical students chosen through cluster random sampling as a section was chosen randomly from each academic year and collectively form the final sample. Data were collected through interview by a questionnaire inquiring about sociodemographic data, common stressors as academic, financial, family, and transportation stressors and Cohen Perceived Stress Scale 10. RESULTS: The prevalence of perceived stress was slightly higher (88.9%) among medical students than among nonmedical students (83.5%). Severe stress was found among (18.8%) of medical students compared to (12.4%) among nonmedical students (P < 0.05). The significant predictors of perceived stress were academic stressors, no exercise and being female among medical students, and were academic and financial stressors among nonmedical students. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students perceived more stress than nonmedical students. The academic stressors were significant predictors among all students; hence, there is a need for the establishment of students counseling unit, to facilitate coping with the stress of study and examination.