ANXIETY AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS "COMPARING MEDICAL WITH NON MEDICAL STUDENTS".

Abstract

Objectives:

To assess the prevalence of anxiety, to determine various factors associated with anxiety among undergraduate students.
Methods: Descriptive cross sectional study done at different Institutions of Abbottabad from December 2016 to August 2017. Samples of 137 students selected by using non-probability convenient sampling technique, and were included in our study. A self-administered questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection which was analyzed using SPSS-21.0.

Results:

Out of 137 undergraduate students, 31(22.6%) were males and 106(77.4%) were females, 62(45%) students were boarders and 75(55%) were day scholars, mean age was 20.80±1.5 years. 42(30.7%) were normal, 27(19.7%) were suffering from mild anxiety, 48(35.0%) from moderate anxiety while 20(14.6%) students from severe anxiety. Among normal students 11(8.0%) were male and 31 (22.6%) were female. In mild anxiety 6(4.4%) were male and 21(15.3%) were female, 11 (8.0%) males and 37(27.0%) female were suffering from moderate anxiety while in severe anxiety 3(2.2%) were males and 17(12.4%) were female. It is clearly showing that anxiety is more prevalent among females than males. Other Demographics showed that 51 were feeling home sickness, 12 students were cigarette smokers. 54 students were using self- medication during exam, 37 students in the sample faced financial difficulties and 106 students had chosen career of their own choice while others didn’t.

Conclusion:

Our study concludes that anxiety is highly prevalent in undergraduate students. Moreover prevalence of anxiety was high among female students compare to males, in day scholars and medical students as compared to students of other fields.