Study of perceived stress and stressors among undergraduate medical students

Background: Recently there is growing concern about stress during undergraduate’s medical training. Undue stress may cause adverse health consequences and lowered academic performance. Objective of the study was to know perceived level of stress and its causes among undergraduate medical students.Methods: A cross sectional survey, using self-structured questionnaire, was conducted among 65 third year medical students. Questionnaires were related to socio-demographic profile, perceived stress scale [PSS] and 32 item list of stressors (grouped as health related, academic and psycho-social). Student’s responses were recorded on five point Likert scale.Results: Mean PSS score was 25.53±5.55 and was significantly higher for females. Psycho-social stressors occurred most frequently, followed by the academic causes.Conclusions: Medical undergraduates face high level of stress and the causes may be varied. They need more interaction, counselling and support from faculty to relieve their stress.

A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess the Effect of Epidemiological Determinants on Prevalence of Anaemia among the Adolescent and Reproductive Age Females Residing at Rural Bikaner

Introduction: Nutritional anaemia is a worldwide problem, withthe highest prevalence in developing countries. In India, 20-40% of maternal deaths are due to anaemia. 55 % of Indianadolescent girls are anaemic and the prevalence of anaemia inwomen of reproductive age is 53.1% and 56% of adolescentgirls and 46.8 % of the women aged 15-49 years are anaemicin Rajasthan and the prevalence was slightly higher in ruralthan urban areas.Objective: To study association between epidemiologicaldeterminants and anaemia prevalence among 10-49 year agegroup females of rural Bikaner.Methodology: Community based cross-sectional study, A totalof 600 women were selected for study by systematic randomsampling. Inclusion criteria included informed verbal consentand no critical or chronic illness.Results: Most (92.50%) of the study population was anaemic.Mean haemoglobin value among anaemic and non-anaemicfemales was 8.65±1.23 g/dl & 11.24±1.21 g/dl respectively.About 2/3rd (69.55%) of the anaemic study population hadmoderate anaemia. Only 2.50 % of the anaemic studypopulation had severe anaemia.Conclusion: Anaemia is a major public health problem amongadolescent and reproductive age females in rural area and agegroups, type of family, age at marriage, age at first child,pattern of menstrual cycle, medical history of study populationand signs and symptoms were associated with anaemia inadolescent and reproductive age females.