Factors associated with academic stress among students at a Chilean public university: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Academic stress may be associated with sleep and other health-related factors among university students. Objective: To determine the association of sleep quality, sex, physical activity, and anthropometric indicators with academic stress among students enrolled in health sciences and engineering programs at a Chilean university. Methods: An observational, analytic, cross-sectional study was conducted among 203 students. Academic stress was assessed using the SISCO-II Inventory, sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and physical activity using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF). Body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio were measured. Spearman correlation analyses and multiple linear regression were performed. Results: The median age was 20 years, and 54.1% of participants had excess weight. The median PSQI score was 8 points. Women had higher levels of academic stress than men, with median SISCO-II scores of 109 and 89 points, respectively (p < 0.001). Men reported higher total physical activity than women, with median values of 3,860 and 815.5 MET-min/week, respectively (p < 0.001). Academic stress was correlated with poorer sleep quality (ρ = 0.44; p < 0.001), but not with BMI or physical activity. In the main model, each one-point increase in the PSQI score was associated with a 2.84-point increase in academic stress (95% CI: 2.11 to 3.57; p < 0.001), whereas male sex was associated with a 12.50-point lower academic stress score (95% CI: −20.00 to −4.94; p = 0.001; adjusted R² = 0.37). Conclusion: Poorer sleep quality was associated with higher levels of academic stress.