Predictive study of academic stress with the irritable bowel syndrome in medicine students at a public university in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder associated with stress, which may appear by an educational context, given that students are exposed to demands in the academic environment during their education process that may lead to developing diseases. This study reports on the relationship between the IBS and academic stress and compares results of men and women. METHODS: A random survey was made of 561 medicine students at a public university in Mexico. The ROMA III criteria were used for the IBS and the Academic Stress Inventory for academic stress. A multiple regression analysis was made. RESULTS: The results showed that students with academic overload and lack of time are at risk for developing the IBS. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the recommendation is to implement educational programs aiming at self-care as well as gaining knowledge about academic stress-related factors and the physical responses that may result in repercussions with serious consequences for student life such as pain, disease and dropping out of school.

Psychophysiological Manifestations Associated With Stress in Students of a Public University in Mexico.

PROBLEM: Academic stress is defined as a physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral activation reaction to stimuli. This stress can impact students' ability to cope with the school environment. OBJECTIVE: To identify the psychophysiological manifestations associated with high-level academic stress in public university students in Mexico. METHODS: A representative random sampling of 527 students was evaluated during 2012. The Academic Stress Symptom Inventory and the Rossi classification were used; data were analyzed with a binary logistic regression analysis to estimate association between psychophysiological manifestations and the high level of academic stress in public university students. FINDINGS: Results indicated a meaningful association between high levels of academic stress situations and psychophysiological manifestations such as concentration and memory problems, mental blocks and chronic fatigue, drowsiness, and despair. CONCLUSION: Identifying academic stress situations and students' maladaptive responses may help promote timely attention to psychophysiological manifestations before they exacerbate and become harmful to college students' health.

Social representat ions of dental treatment in a group of environmental health graduate students in Lima (Peru).

UNLABELLED: Social representations are a type of common sense knowledge shared by different groups based on their experience. This study identified the social representations of dental practice in a group of environmental health graduate students in Lima, Peru. METHOD: We interviewed 25 graduate students using a "focus group" technique and a semi-structured guide. Three groups were formed with purposive sampling. The data were collected during the years 2010-2011, and analyzed using open, axial, selective coding with Atlas-Ti software. RESULTS: Three substantive categories were identified: dental practice, characteristics of the dental care provider and dental practice setting. The social representations that the students identified with dental practice were fear and pain. CONCLUSIONS: The negative social representations of dental practice may affect viability and adherence to treatment, so it is important to identify them in time in order to intervene effectively.

Social representat ions of dental treatment in a group of environmental health graduate students in Lima (Peru)

Social representations are a type of common sense knowledge shared by different groups based on their experience. This study identified the social representations of dental practice in a group of environmental health graduate students in Lima, Peru. Method: We interviewed 25 graduate students using a "focus group" technique and a semi-structured guide. Three groups were formed with purposive sampling. The data were collected during the years 2010-2011, and analyzed using open, axial, selective coding with Atlas-Ti software. Results: Three substantive categories were identified: dental practice, characteristics of the dental care provider and dental practice setting. The social representations that the students identified with dental practice were fear and pain. Conclusions: The negative social representations of dental practice may affect viability and adherence to treatment, so it is important to identify them in time in order to intervene effectively.

Las representaciones sociales son un tipo de conocimiento de sentido comun que comparten diferentes grupos, basados en su experiencia. En este trabajo se identificaron las representaciones sociales de la practica odontologica en un grupo de estudiantes de postgrado en salud ambiental de Lima Peru. Se entrevistaron a 25 estudiantes de posgrado con la tecnica "focus group" y con una guia semi-estructurada. Se conformaron tres grupos con muestreo intencionado. Los datos se recolectaron durante los anos 2010-2011. La informacion se analizo con codificacion abierta, axial y selectiva mediante el software Atlas-ti. Se identificaron tres categorias sustantivas: practica dental, caracteristicas del profesional de odontologia y entorno de la practica dental. Las representaciones sociales que identificaron los estudiantes con la practica odontologica fueron miedo y dolor. Las representaciones sociales negativas de la practica odontologica pueden afectar la viabilidad y apego al tratamiento, por lo que es importante identificarlas oportunamente para intervenir con eficacia.