Factors Associated with Initiation and Sustenance of Stress Management Behaviors in Veterinary Students: Testing of Multi-Theory Model (MTM)

Veterinary students across the United States face the challenge of stress during school every day. When managed improperly, stress can become chronic and manifest in physical and emotional consequences. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the multi-theory model (MTM) of health behavior change in predicting the initiation and sustenance of stress management behaviors among veterinary students. A cross-sectional design was used to study the efficacy of the MTM in predicting initiation and sustenance of stress management behaviors among veterinary students at a private College of Veterinary Medicine in the Southeast United States. Researchers collected data using a 54-item valid and reliable survey. Only students who did not already engage in daily stress management behaviors were included in the study. After recruitment and exclusion, a total of 140 students remained and participated in the study. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that, for initiation of stress management behaviors, 49.5% of the variance was explained by depression, academic classification, and behavioral confidence. Regarding sustenance of stress management behaviors, 50.4% of the variance was explained by perceived stress, depression, academic classification, and emotional transformation. MTM serves as a promising framework for predicting initiation and sustenance of health behavior change. Based on the results of this study, interventions aimed to promote stress management behaviors in veterinary students should focus on the MTM constructs of behavioral confidence and emotional transformation.