Level of Academic Stress and Its Effect on Sympathetic Parameters in First Year Medical Students

Title: Level of Academic Stress and Its Effect on Sympathetic Parameters in First Year Medical Students. Author: Shamshad Begum. A. Loni. Email id: owais. loni@yahoo. com Background and objectives: Stress is the reaction of body with a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional tolerance or experience by way of an adjustment or response. Many studies on stress in medical education focus on the documentation of stress and information on the correlation of stress. [1] (2011). Most of the autonomic functions tests are based on evaluation of cardiovascular reflexes trigged by performing specific provocative maneuvers. Stimuli which increase Blood pressure such as Isometric Hand Grip Test (IHGT) activates mainly sympathetic outflow. While the Blood pressure response to orthostatic tests like blood pressure on standing or lying to standing (LST) reflects the sympathetic activity. [2] ( 2010) The purpose of this study was to examine the stress level by medical education on first year students in medical college using autonomic function tests like LST and IHGT. Methods: The study group consisted of 52 first year medical students (26 males and 26 females) of BLDEAs Shri B. M. Patil Medical College Bijapur, Karnataka. The data of parameters of autonomic functions tests (LST and IHGT) was taken 2 month prior to academic examination (viva voce) as prestress (PS) reading and during examination as During stress (DS) reading. Data were analyzed using Wilxcon Rank signed 2 tailed test. And for subgroup separate male and female data analysis Paired t test was used. Result: Participants of age group 17-20 years had mean wt kgs, ht cms and BMI kgs/mt2 were recorded. the basal physiological parameters like Systolic, Diastolic blood pressure, Pulse Rate, Respiratory Rates were recorded 2 months prior to examination. Statistics analysis revealed that there was a significant increase in parametric readings of Autonomic function Tests of LST and IHGT during the stress i. e. viva voce examination. Among the students females had significant stress even before the examination. Mean LST in PS was 8.42 increased to 14.5 in DS. Mean IHGT was 18.04 which decreased to 12.69 in DS both the test were statistically significant with p value less than 0.0001. By LST 78.85 % had borderline stress and none severe stress / distress. While with IHGT 51.92 % had borderline stress and 26.92 % had severe stress during stress. Sex wise distribution by LST 34.62 % males had borderline stress and 61.54 % had severe stress during academic stress and 11.54 % females had borderline stress and 7.69 % severe stress or distress in prestress. While 38.46 % females had borderline stress and 34.62 % severe stress or distress during academic stress.