Stress Levels and Associated Factors Among Nursing Students From Different Ethnic Groups in Malaysia
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Abstract
Introduction: Nursing education and training is known to be an inherently stressful experience and poses challeng- ing demands for students. The aim of this study is to evaluate the stress levels among nursing students from different ethnic groups in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited the January to February 2020 nursing stu- dents from a private university in Malaysia with a self-administered questionnaire. Participants’ level of stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) developed by Sheu and colleague in 2002. Data collected were analyzed with, One-way ANOVA and Spearman analysis to determine the significant factors associated with stress. Results: Two hundred nursing students across years one to three enrolled. The mean monthly household (family) in- come was MYR4686.25 ± 4660.38. Stress was significantly associated with ethnicity and monthly household (family) income (p< 0.05). Bonferroni post-hoc test demonstrated that the mean stress level of Malay students is statistically significant compared to Chinese and Indian students (p< 0.001). The PSS determined the nursing students’ stress level to be moderate. Conclusion: The association of stress levels with ethnicity, and monthly household (family) income suggested the need for suitable cultural and sufficient financial support for nursing students to reduce their stress levels.
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