Relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the level of stress among college students in Poland

Le résumé fourni par la source

COVID-19 spread rapidly in December 2019, leading to a global pandemic, affecting social life, the economy, and education. This study aimed to evaluate the stress levels among college students in Poland one year after the COVID-19 outbreak. An online questionnaire was posted on the internal student website from May 25th until July 31st 2021. It consisted of socio-demographic variables, physical activity frequency, COVID-19 vaccination, and stress levels. A total of 114 University of Warsaw students (mean age 25.6 years) participated in the survey. Among them, 50 were fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Full-time students had a higher vaccination rate compared to part-time students (80.3% vs. 39.4%, p < 0.01) and more frequently reported moderate and high stress levels. Fully vaccinated students were significantly younger (23.1 vs. 27.6 years; p < 0.01) and their PSS-10 index values were higher compared to unvaccinated students (22.7 vs. 18.8; p = 0.01). Women experienced lower stress levels than men and other genders (20.3, 21.7 and 24.2, respectively), however, these differences were nonsignificant ( p = 0.59). No significant relation between physical activity frequency and level of stress was observed ( p = 0.49). Stress levels among students were negatively correlated with vaccination status. Furthermore, younger age and full-time studies were connected to higher vaccination acceptance. No significant relationship was found between physical activity level and stress, suggesting the overbearing impact of the pandemic on the positive effects of physical activity on stress. While vaccination is crucial for controlling the spread of COVID-19, it might have an impact on increased stress and mental health status.

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