Relationship of stress level and health status with physical activities among medical students in UPM during Covid-19 pandemic

Seng, Pang Kin and Suhaimi, Abdullah Azzam and Abdul Rashid, Siti Mariam (2020) Relationship of stress level and health status with physical activities among medical students in UPM during Covid-19 pandemic. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

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Abstract

Introduction : According to the World Health Organization (WHO), physical activity was defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that require energy expenditure. A regular and adequate level of physical activity was also crucial for energy expenditure and thus fundamental to weight control. It was also believed that physical activity can help to reduce the stress level of an individual. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of stress among medical students in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and the association between level of physical activities, stress levels and health status among medical students in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study would be conducted in 5 months among Doctor of Medicine students in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Descriptive 1 analysis and non-parametric analysis would be used to present the data and establish any association of statistical significance between independent and dependent variables. Result: Out of 310 respondents, 155 ( 50.0% ) of respondents were highly active for the past 5 months. Majority of respondents,196 ( 63.2 % ) out of 310 were reported to have normal body weight. 182 (58.5 %) respondents out of 310 have moderate stress. There were significant associations between ethnicity ( p < 0.001), religion ( p < 0.001 ) and year of study ( p =0.041 ) with stress level among medical students in Universiti Putra Malaysia ( UPM ).There were no significant associations between physical activities and stress level ( p = 0.306 ) among medical students in Universiti Putra Malaysia ( UPM ). There were no significant associations between physical activities and body mass index ( p = 0.172 ) among medical students in Universiti Putra Malaysia ( UPM ). Discussion : Our study showed the prevalence of “inactive” medical students in UPM was higher compared to study conducted in Bangalore, India. COVID-19 circumstances and quarantine period during our study duration caused practices of sedentary lifestyles among medical students in UPM. In our study, there was a lower prevalence of high perceived stress compared to study in Iraq. The study in Iraq concluded that the examinations, course load and hectic timetable were the major reasons for their results of their higher severe stress level among students in comparison to our research study. Our study showed a significant association of ethnicity , religion and year of study with stress levels among medical students in UPM. In our study, the respondents were mainly Malay medical students which may contribute to higher frequency of stress among them . Cultural differences and religious practises might attribute the increase in emotional 2 distress among Malays and other races.Our research determined the highest prevalence of stress among second year students as they might be busy in preparing for their research study, attending online classes and busy revising for their professional exam 1. Our study showed no significant association of physical activity and stress levels among medical students.Our results may have been confounded with medical students involved in the study more than doing physical activity. There was no statistically significant association between body mass index and physical activity among medical students in UPM through our study.However, our study revealed that 192 respondents who were physically active have normal body weight.. It is well established that physical activity practise can have major health benefits in terms of both preventive and therapeutic effects Conclusion: This study showed that there is no significant association between physical activity and stress level and health status among medical students in Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Item Type:	Project Paper
Faculty:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Science
Depositing User:	Ms Norafizah Radzuan
Date Deposited:	04 Sep 2023 03:17
Last Modified:	04 Sep 2023 03:17
URI:	http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/1222

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