The influence of personality traits and social support on male nursing student life stress: a cross-sectional research design.
BACKGROUND
Understanding how male nursing students alleviate life stress during their academic career is conducive to their development as successful nursing professionals.


OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to understand the personality traits, social support, and life stresses of male nursing students. The respective influences of personality traits and social support on life stress were also explored.


METHODS
The study used a cross-sectional research design. A college in central Taiwan was targeted as the site for data collection. A total of 158 questionnaires were dispatched, with 145 valid copies returned (valid response rate = 91.7%). Structured questionnaires were designed to collect data on participant demographics, personality traits, social support, and life stress. Statistical methods such as descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis were applied to data analysis.


RESULTS
Major findings of this study revealed that (a) in general, the personality traits, social support, and life stress of male nursing students scored in the medium to high range. Participants reported encountering more stress from learning and life goals than from interpersonal stress. (b) Male nursing student demographic variables (e.g., parent [father and mother considered separately] education level) and the personality traits of conscientiousness and family support, respectively, were found to impact significantly on participant life stress perceptions. And (c) the only significant predictors of life stress were support from family and education level of participant fathers and mothers, accounting for about 23.7% of variability.


CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that nursing students in each year of their academic career should be exposed to courses geared to reduce the life stress perceptions (especially in the areas of learning and career development) of male nursing students. Increased family support is an effective way to decrease male nursing student life stress. This study could be a reference for the design and application of strategies to reduce the perceived life stress of male nursing students.
Lou
Jiunn-Horng
JH
Department of Nursing, Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing, and Management, Taiwan, ROC.
Chen
Sheng-Hwang
SH
Yu
Hsing-Yi
HY
Li
Ren-Hau
RH
Yang
Cheng-I
CI
Eng
Cheng-Joo
CJ
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D013624:Taiwan