title: Stress among Isfahan medical sciences students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of psychological stress among Isfahan medical sciences students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was carried out among the 387 medical sciences students (medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry) of Isfahan, Iran through census. In academic year 2010-2011, Kessler-10 questionnaire was given to the students a month before semester examinations. Scores ≥20 were considered as indicative of positive stress symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of stress among medical sciences students was found to be about 76.1%. The prevalence of stress among medicine students was 22.7% mild, 23% moderate and 21.4% severe while 32.8% showed no stress. The prevalence of stress among pharmacy students was 22.22%, 22.22%, 26.19%, and 29.36% mild, moderate, and severe and no stress, respectively. The prevalence of stress among dentistry students was 25% mild, 27% moderate, and 10% severe while 37.5% showed no stress. The prevalence of stress was higher (70.6%) in pharmacy students when compared with medicine (66.1%) and dentistry (62.5%) students. The odds of student having stress is higher in dentistry students (OR: 1.44, P= 0.33), where as the odds are decreasing in pharmacy student (OR: 1.16, P=0.66). There is no statistically significant association between gender, ages, and term and having stress symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high level of stress necessitates interventions like social and psychological support to improve the student's well-being. A prospective study is needed to study the association of psychological morbidity with sources of stress and coping strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sharifirad
authors.forename: Abdoljalal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marjani
authors.forename: Charkazi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abdolrahman
authors.forename: Qorbani
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Mostafa
authors.forename: Shahnazi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hossein