Lifestyle profile and stress level in university students of health sciences

Abstract

There is a correlation between stress derived from academic demands and unhealthy lifestyles, characterized by high consumption of high-calorie foods and low levels of physical activity. Objective. Determine the correlation between the lifestyle profile and stress level in health sciences students at a higher education institution. Methods. Quantitative research with a correlational cut design where 163 participants were selected through random sampling. To measure lifestyle, the PEPS-I Questionnaire by Nola Pender (1996) was applied and the Stress level was measured using the PSS-14 Scale by Cohen, Kamarch, and Mermelstein (1983). The data obtained were processed in the GraphPad Prism v8.0.0 statistical software where descriptive statistics were performed obtaining measures of central tendency and frequency tables to determine the correlation of variables.  Results. Considering n=163, it was evident that the presence of stress was present in 66.87% of the students, furthermore, the lifestyle profile demonstrated poor stress management (16.04), lack of exercise (11.55) and lifestyle and irregular eating habits (15.17). Conclusion. In the present study, it is confirmed that there is a correlation between the lifestyle profile and stress in students, which is reason enough to continue investigating the factors involved in this behavior to inform future actions aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles due to at this stage it is crucial to guarantee an optimal physical state and mental well-being that allows you to meet personal and professional goals.