Stress in Academic Life of Pharmacy Students: Psychophysiological Assessment via Cardiovascular Reactivity Experiment
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Date
2011-01
Authors
NORI, ALI YOUSIF
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Abstract
Research of stress and cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) is one of the pillars in the
health care system. It enhances the understanding of human behavior towards daily
challenges and needs. It goes further to anticipate precursor risk factors of future
cardiovascular disease (CVD). Behavioral or psychological stress is one of many
factors that could contribute to the development of essential hypertension (HT) in
susceptible individuals. Excessive stress in academic life affects all the students and
_ de-motivates them for gaining higher performance. Specific types of stress are
assessed psychologically (by questionnaires), while total affecting stress is assessed
physiologically (by the aid ofCVR-stress experiments).
Two purposes were behind developing the Stress in Academic Life Scale (SALS) in
this study: measuring stress, and identifying stressors that interfere with. students' life
and their academic achievement. CVR-stress experiment was employed to get clear
evaluation of the role of academic stress on the general stress of pharmacy students.
For a period of six months, data was collected through participation of a total of 488
students in validation of SALS as well as being part of the physiological CVR-stress
experiment.
The resulted level of academic stress was relatively low (mean score = 1.17 ±.40)
among majority of students in School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Universiti Sains
Malaysia even though it is degrading factor for high academic performance (P <
0.001; r = -.204). The sample revealed a diverse hemodynamic cardiovascular
response to acute laboratory challenge (mental arithmetic test). Self-reporting of
stress task has no physiological activity in the CVR-stress assessment. Race was
,Itsignificant
precursor for heightened reactivity (P < 0.05; systolic reactivity). Chinese
students are more reactive to mental arithmetic task than Malays that may put them
at higher risk to get future CVD than Malay students.
Year of study was significant precursor for reporting variation in reporting level of
academic stress (P < 0.005; mean score = 1.29 ±.41). The difference was reported by'
the second year of study which seemed to be more stressed academically than other
course years. The academic stress is generated mainly by lack of.motivation to
achieve higher performance.
The present study explicates a modulatory comparison between reporting the level of
academic stress and the cartliovascular reactivity to laboratory induced stress. It
delineates a method for a reliable correlation between physiological findings and
self-reporting one. When comparing both pathways, academic stress did not have
association with the magnitude of general stress response among the investigated
sample. This may conftrm the psychological assessment in having low level of stress
in academic life.
Collating the association between academic performance and stress may elevate the
awareness about how to robust achievement by coping and interfering With the seven
reported stressors (domains of SALS). Predicting the racial susceptibility of future
HT will increase the awareness and ameliorate the overall perception about
cardiovascular disease.
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Keywords
Pharmacy Students , Reactivity Experiment