title: Students perceived stress in academic programs: consequences for its management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Academic stress contributes to the deterioration of the students' quality of life. Psychological determinants involved in the stress process, trait anxiety and coping, have been neglected when assessing the role of academic programs in stress. This study aimed at determining whether academic programs are associated with a high level of perceived stress above and beyond potential personal and environmental risk factors, as well as coping strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2009 among third-year medical (total n=170, participants 88%), dental (n=63, 94%), psychology (n=331, 61%) and sports sciences (n=312, 55%) students in Montpellier (France). The stress level experienced during the last 2months, trait anxiety and coping strategies were appraised. Substance use, psychological care, and stress triggers were also collected using a self-administered questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with medicine and after adjusting for gender and age, only the sports program was associated with a lower perceived stress risk: adjusted odds ratio: 0.54 [95% Confidence interval: 0.30; 0.99]. Substantial reductions in perceived stress risks were observed in science students after additional adjustments for non-academic stress triggers, substance use, psychological care (adjusted odds ratio: 0.20 [95% Confidence interval: 0.09; 0.41]), and also for trait anxiety and coping strategies (adjusted odds ratio: 0.23 [95% Confidence interval: 0.10; 0.54]). Compared with medicine and after these additional adjustments, psychology had a significantly lower perceived stress risk (0.34 [0.18; 0.64]; 0.40 [0.19; 0.86], respectively), dentistry had a similar risk (0.82 [0.35; 1.91]; 0.53 [0.20; 1.43], respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sports and psychology programs had a lower perceived stress risk compared with medicine. Personal and environmental risk factors and coping strategies modified the association between academic program and perceived stress. Developing efficient coping strategies in students and improving academic environment could contribute to prevent the potential deleterious consequences of stress.
authors: Université Montpellier-1, Montpellier, France. d-neveu@chu-montpellier.fr
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Neveu
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Doron
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Visier
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Boiché
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Trouillet
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Dujols
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Ninot
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011584:Psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013177:Sports / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013732:Test Anxiety Scale / Q000706:statistics & numerical data