Publication:

Factors associated with academic stress and performance anxiety among nursing students in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh

Background Academic stress is an outcome of academic demands imposed beyond an individual's available adaptive resources and manifests as academic overload and social, familial, and psychosocial challenges in an academic context.” “Performance anxiety emphasizes the discomfort that people feel before, during, and/or after significant tasks, which impairs their performance." In light of the academic challenges faced by nursing students, an institutional descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the "factors associated with academic stress and performance anxiety” (ASPA) among 571 nursing students enrolled in government institutions in Kurnool.

Methods Data were collected using a pre-tested, self-reported questionnaire with convenience sampling. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0 software, and the chi-square test was used, with a p value <0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results Among the respondents, ASPA is found to be higher among undergraduates (84%; p=0.001), below the poverty line (78%; p=0.05), staying in college hostels (78%), experienced eve teasing (89%; p=0.001), and those who supported ‘devil’s impact on mental health’ (80%; p=0.05).

Conclusions ASPA is lower among those interested in their studies. The study concluded that three-fourths of respondents experienced ASPA.