Symptoms and Health Complaints and Their Association with Perceived Stressors among Students at Nine Libyan Universities
Abstract
:1. Introduction
Aim of the Study
- Describe the sample’s general characteristics;
- Assess the prevalence of eight symptoms, and the number of symptoms reported in the last 12 months;
- Assess the association between the frequency of the four most prevalent symptoms and students’ demographic characteristics and health behaviours; and
- Explore the frequency of symptoms by extent of perceived stressors (burdens); and the association between the four most prevalent symptoms and perceived stressors while controlling for all other symptom groups.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Sample, Data Collection and Ethics
2.2. Health and Wellbeing Measures and Variables
2.3. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. General Characteristics
Variable | Characteristic | All Students N = 1300 | Males N = 439 | Females N = 861 | p |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stressors | |||||
Burdens (exams) | Less burdened | 573 (44.1) | 243 (55.4) | 330 (38.3) | <0.001 |
Strongly/Very strongly | 727 (55.9) | 196 (44.6) | 531 (61.7) | ||
Burdens (overall) | Less burdened | 972 (74.8) | 338 (77.0) | 634 (73.6) | 0.187 |
Strongly/Very strongly | 328 (25.2) | 101 (23.0) | 227 (26.4) | ||
Socio-demographic | |||||
Age (years) | <20 | 360 (27.7) | 109 (24.8) | 251 (29.2) | |
20–24 | 848 (65.2) | 288 (65.6) | 560 (65.0) | 0.020 | |
≥25 | 92 (7.1) | 42 (9.6) | 50 (5.8) | ||
Marital status | Married | 45 (3.5) | 5 (1.1) | 40 (4.6) | 0.001 |
Single | 1255 (96.5) | 434 (98.9) | 821 (95.4) | ||
Year of study | 1st | 431 (33.2) | 187 (42.6) | 244 (28.3) | <0.001 |
2nd | 356 (27.4) | 86 (19.6) | 270 (31.4) | ||
3rd | 319 (24.5) | 82 (18.7) | 237 (27.5) | ||
≥4th | 194 (14.9) | 84 (19.1) | 110 (12.8) | ||
Living with parent | Yes | 1062 (81.7) | 322 (73.3) | 121 (14.1) | |
No | 238 (18.3) | 117 (26.7) | 740 (85.9) | <0.001 | |
Income sufficiency | Always/Mostly sufficient | 948 (72.9) | 285 (64.9) | 663 (77.0) | <0.001 |
Mostly/Always insufficient | 352 (27.1) | 154 (35.1) | 198 (23.9) | ||
Health behaviours/Lifestyle | |||||
Smoking | Daily | 63 (4.8) | 63 (14.4) | 0 | |
Occasional | 49 (3.8) | 43 (9.8) | 6 (0.7) | <0.001 | |
Never | 1188 (91.4) | 333 (75.9) | 855 (99.3) | ||
Illicit drug/s (ever use) | No | 1279 (98.4) | 419 (95.4) | 860 (99.9) | <0.001 |
Yes | 21 (1.6) | 20 (4.6) | 1 (0.1) | ||
Alcohol consumption | Never | 1256 (96.6) | 404 (92.0) | 852 (99.0) | |
Occasional | 40 (3.1) | 31 (7.1) | 9 (1.0) | <0.001 | |
Every day | 4 (0.3) | 4 (0.9) | - | ||
Subjective health | Excellent/Very good | 690 (53.1) | 228 (51.9) | 462 (53.7) | |
Good | 424 (32.6) | 149 (33.9) | 275 (31.9) | 0.765 | |
Fair/Poor | 186 (14.3) | 62 (14.1) | 124 (14.4) | ||
Health awareness | Very much/To some extent | 1043 (80.2) | 364 (82.9) | 679 (78.9) | 0.083 |
Not much/Not at all | 257 (19.8) | 75 (17.1) | 182 (21.2) | ||
BMI (reported) * | Underweight | 86 (8.2) | 24 (6.1) | 62 (9.4) | |
Normal weight | 667(63.5) | 228 (58.0) | 439 (66.8) | <0.001 | |
Overweight | 236 (22.5) | 106 (27.0) | 130 (19.8) | ||
Obese | 61 (5.8) | 35 (8.9) | 26 (4.0) | ||
Others | |||||
Importance of religion | Somewhat/Strongly disagree | 22 (1.7) | 12 (2.8) | 10 (1.2) | 0.035 |
(religiosity) | Strongly/Somewhat agree | 1269 (98.3) | 420 (97.2) | 849 (98.8) | |
Quality of life | Very badly/Badly | 116 (8.9) | 45 (10.3) | 71 (8.5) | 0.439 |
Intermediate | 416 (32.0) | 142 (32.3) | 274 (31.8) | ||
Quite well/Very well | 768 (59.1) | 252 (57.4) | 516 (59.9) | ||
Total | 1300 (100) | 439 (100) | 861 (100) |
3.2. Prevalence and Number of Symptoms in Last 12 Months
Symptoms | Never | Rarely | Sometimes/ Very Often |
---|---|---|---|
N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | |
Psychological | |||
Depressive mood | 306 (23.5) | 245 (18.8) | 749 (57.6) |
Difficulties to concentrate | 227 (17.5) | 335 (25.8) | 738 (56.8) |
Sleep disorder/Insomnia | 361 (27.8) | 290 (22.3) | 649 (49.9) |
Circulatory | |||
Rapid heartbeats, Circulatory problems, Dizziness | 718 (55.2) | 245 (18.8) | 337 (25.9) |
Pains/Aches | |||
Back pain | 391 (30.1) | 319 (24.5) | 590 (45.4) |
Neck and shoulder pain | 492 (37.8) | 321 (24.7) | 487 (37.5) |
Headaches | 172 (13.2) | 340 (26.2) | 788 (60.6) |
Gastrointestinal | |||
Stomach trouble/Heartburn | 618 (47.5) | 265 (20.4) | 417 (32.1) |
Sample | No Symptoms | 1–2 Symptoms | ≥3 Symptoms | p value for Gender Difference |
---|---|---|---|---|
N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | ||
All students | 97 (7.5) | 394 (30.3) | 809 (62.2) | |
Males | 42 (9.6) | 152 (34.6) | 245 (55.8) | 0.002 |
Females | 55 (6.4) | 242 (28.1) | 564 (65.5) |
3.3. Frequency of Symptoms by General Characteristics
Characteristic/ Behaviour | Headache M (SD) | p | Depressive Mood M (SD) | p | Difficulties to Concentrate M (SD) | p | Insomnia M (SD) | p |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stressors | ||||||||
Stressors/Burdens (exams) | ||||||||
Less burdened | 2.52 (0.92) | <0.001 | 2.31 (1.07) | <0.001 | 2.33 (0.94) | <0.001 | 2.20 (1.05) | <0.001 |
Strongly/very burdened | 2.78 (0.93) | 2.80 (1.07) | 2.71 (0.92) | 2.55 (1.06) | ||||
Stressors/Burdens (overall) | ||||||||
Less burdened | 2.59 (0.91) | <0.001 | 2.43 (1.06) | <0.001 | 2.46 (0.92) | <0.001 | 2.29 (1.04) | <0.001 |
Strongly/very burdened | 2.88 (0.99) | 3.01 (1.07) | 2.77 (0.99) | 2.69 (1.10) | ||||
Socio-demographic | ||||||||
Gender | ||||||||
Female | 2.76 (0.92) | <0.001 | 2.69 (1.09) | <0.001 | 2.58 (0.93) | 0.031 | 2.47 (1.06) | 0.001 |
Male | 2.48 (0.93) | 2.36 (1.06) | 2.46 (0.97) | 2.25 (1.07) | ||||
Age | ||||||||
< 20 | 2.57 (0.90) | 0.050 | 2.45 (1.08) | 0.006 | 2.43 (0.94) | 0.018 | 2.17 (1.05) | <0.001 |
20-24 | 2.71 (0.94) | 2.61 (1.10) | 2.57 (0.95) | 2.47 (1.07) | ||||
≥ 25 | 2.60 (1.02) | 2.83 (1.06) | 2.68 (0.88) | 2.60 (1.02) | ||||
Marital status | ||||||||
Married | 2.69 (0.93) | 0.868 | 2.13 (1.08) | 0.005 | 2.29 (0.92) | 0.068 | 2.38 (1.03) | 0.914 |
Single | 2.67 (0.94) | 2.60 (1.09) | 2.55 (0.95) | 2.40 (1.07) | ||||
Year of study | ||||||||
1st | 2.56 (0.91) | 0.007 | 2.42 (1.10) | 0.001 | 2.43 (0.96) | 0.034 | 2.18 (1.04) | <0.001 |
2nd | 2.68 (0.95) | 2.58 (1.10) | 2.59 (0.94) | 2.46 (1.08) | ||||
3rd | 2.80 (0.92) | 2.73 (1.08) | 2.58 (0.91) | 2.56 (1.05) | ||||
≥4th | 2.65 (0.94) | 2.66 (1.06) | 2.63 (0.98) | 2.49 (1.07) | ||||
Living with parent | ||||||||
Yes | 2.69 (0.92) | 0.041 | 2.58 (1.09) | 0.998 | 2.55 (0.93) | 0.656 | 2.39 (1.07) | 0.635 |
No | 2.55 (0.97) | 2.58 (1.10) | 2.52 (1.01) | 2.42 (1.08) | ||||
Income sufficiency | ||||||||
Always/ Mostly sufficient | 2.66 (0.93) | 0.482 | 2.52 (1.10) | 0.002 | 2.49 (0.95) | 0.001 | 2.36 (1.06) | 0.089 |
Mostly/ Always insufficient | 2.70 (0.95) | 2.73 (1.07) | 2.68 (0.93) | 2.48 (1.09) | ||||
Health behaviours/Lifestyle | ||||||||
Smoking | ||||||||
Daily | 2.63 (0.97) | 0.069 | 2.62 (1.04) | 0.089 | 2.57 (1.00) | 0.590 | 2.40 (1.06) | 0.902 |
Occasional | 2.37 (1.06) | 2.24 (1.11) | 2.41 (0.93) | 2.33 (1.11) | ||||
Never | 2.68 (0.93) | 2.59 (1.09) | 2.55 (0.94) | 2.40 (1.07) | ||||
Illicit drugs (ever use) | ||||||||
No | 2.66 (0.93) | 0.636 | 2.58 (1.09) | 0.869 | 2.54 (0.94) | 0.541 | 2.39 (1.07) | 0.240 |
Yes | 2.76 (1.04) | 2.62 (1.28) | 2.67 (1.16) | 2.67 (1.07) | ||||
Alcohol consumption | ||||||||
Never | 2.67 (0.93) | 0.888 | 2.58 (1.09) | 0.668 | 2.54 (0.94) | 0.837 | 2.39 (1.07) | 0.756 |
Occasionally | 2.60 (0.98) | 2.50 (1.20) | 2.60 (1.08) | 2.45 (1.04) | ||||
Every day | 2.75 (1.50) | 3.00 (1.41) | 2.75 (1.26) | 2.75 (0.96) | ||||
Subjective Health | ||||||||
Excellent/Very good | 2.51 (0.92) | <0.001 | 2.41 (1.10) | <0.001 | 2.38 (0.94) | <0.001 | 2.23 (1.05) | <0.001 |
Good | 2.82 (0.88) | 2.65 (1.04) | 2.63 (0.89) | 2.51 (1.03) | ||||
Fair Poor | 2.89 (0.99) | 3.04 (1.04) | 2.93 (0.95) | 2.73 (1.13) | ||||
Health awareness | ||||||||
Very much/Some extent | 2.63 (0.93) | 0.014 | 2.51 (1.08) | <0.001 | 2.49 (0.92) | <0.001 | 2.37 (1.07) | 0.054 |
Not much/Not at all | 2.79 (0.96) | 2.86 (1.09) | 2.75 (1.02) | 2.51 (1.07) | ||||
BMI (reported) | ||||||||
Underweight | 2.60 (0.92) | 0.620 | 2.58 (1.15) | 0.313 | 2.44 (0.94) | 0.339 | 2.29 (1.11) | 0.695 |
Normal weight | 2.63 (0.91) | 2.62 (1.08) | 2.57 (0.92) | 2.42 (1.06) | ||||
Overweight | 2.69 (0.91) | 2.47 (1.08) | 2.50 (0.93) | 2.43 (1.04) | ||||
Obese | 2.74 (1.06) | 2.64 (1.13) | 2.67 (1.00) | 2.36 (1.07) | ||||
Others | ||||||||
Importance of religion (religiosity) | ||||||||
Somewhat/Strongly disagree | 2.73 (0.88) | 0.766 | 2.82 (1.05) | 0.309 | 2.55 (0.96) | 0.984 | 2.32 (0.89) | 0.721 |
Strongly/Somewhat agree | 2.67 (0.94 ) | 2.58 (1.09) | 2.54 (0.95) | 2.40 (1.07) | ||||
Quality of life | ||||||||
Very badly/Badly | 2.74 (0.97) | 0.412 | 2.92 (1.05) | <0.001 | 2.80 (0.93) | <0.001 | 2.64 (1.17) | <0.001 |
Intermediate | 2.69 (0.97) | 2.77 (1.05) | 2.68 (0.95) | 2.52 (1.04) | ||||
Quite well/Very well | 2.64 (0.91) | 2.42 (1.09) | 2.43 (0.93) | 2.29 (1.06) |
3.4. Association between Feeling Burdened Overall and Frequency of Symptoms
Symptom | Level of Stressor (Feeling Burdened) | p | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Not at All | Very Much | β | ||||||
M (SD) | M (SD) | M (SD) | M (SD) | M (SD) | M (SD) | |||
Headache | 2.34(0.83) | 2.45(0.84) | 2.65(0.82) | 2.78(0.83) | 2.94(0.82) | 3.05(0.91) | 0.18 | <0.001 |
Depressive mood | 1.43(0.69) | 1.67(0.75) | 1.96(0.85) | 2.30(0.89) | 2.58(0.92) | 2.87(0.96) | 0.30 | <0.001 |
Difficulty to concentrate | 1.91(0.91) | 2.23(0.85) | 2.52(0.79) | 2.68(0.82) | 2.97(0.79) | 3.12(0.86) | 0.20 | <0.001 |
Sleep disorder/ insomnia | 1.59(0.86) | 1.75(0.93) | 2.02(0.97) | 2.17(0.98) | 2.55(1.08) | 2.81(1.06) | 0.19 | <0.001 |
Variable | Headache OR (95% CI) | Depressive Mood OR (95% CI) | Difficulty to Concentrate OR (95% CI) | Sleep Disorder/ Insomnia OR (95% CI) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stressors | ||||
Feeling burdened overall | ||||
Less burdened | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Strongly/very strongly burdened | 1.52 (1.15–2.02) | 2.20 (1.64–2.94) | 1.07 (0.81–1.40) | 1.55 (1.19–2.03) |
Socio-demographic | ||||
Gender | ||||
Female | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Male | 0.63 (0.49–0.80) | 0.58 (0.45–0.75) | 1.12 (0.87–1.44) | 0.71 (0.56–0.91) |
Age | ||||
<20 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
20-24 | 1.22 (0.90–1.63) | 1.07 (0.79–1.44) | 1.01 (0.74–1.36) | 1.46 (1.09–1.96) |
≥ 25 | 0.88 (0.52–1.48) | 1.32 (0.76–2.29) | 1.13 (0.66–1.93) | 1.92 (1.14–3.26) |
Year of study | ||||
1st * | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
2nd | 1.16 (0.86–1.58) | 1.07 (0.78–1.46) | 0.89 (0.65–1.21) | 1.25 (0.92–1.69) |
3rd | 1.13 (0.80–1.60) | 1.34 (0.94–1.90) | 1.00 (0.70–1.41) | 1.37 (0.98–1.92) |
≥4th | 1.05 (0.70–1.57) | 1.68 (1.11–2.53) | 1.08 (0.72–1.62) | 1.36 (0.92–2.01) |
Income sufficiency | ||||
Always/Mostly sufficient | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Always/Mostly insufficient | 1.05 (0.81–1.37) | 1.29 (0.98–1.69) | 1.33 (1.02–1.73) | 1.05 (0.81–1.36) |
Health behaviours/Lifestyle | ||||
Subjective health status | ||||
Excellent/Very good | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Good | 1.64 (1.27–2.13) | 1.21 (0.93–1.56) | 1.31 (1.01–1.70) | 1.35 (1.05–1.73) |
Fair/Poor | 1.57 (1.09–2.27) | 1.63 (1.10–2.41) | 2.39 (1.67–3.41) | 1.51 (1.06–2.17) |
Watch one’s health | ||||
Very much/Some extent | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Not much/Not at all | 0.97 (0.72–1.30) | 1.41 (1.03–1.92) | 1.16 (0.87–1.56) | 1.04 (0.78–1.39) |
Others | ||||
Quality of life | ||||
Very badly/Badly | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
Intermediate | 0.84 (0.54–1.31) | 0.89 (0.55–1.43) | 0.97 (0.63–1.48) | 1.06 (0.69–1.63) |
Quite well/Very well | 1.08 (0.70–1.67) | 0.60 (0.38–0.95) | 0.66 (0.44–1.01) | 0.86 (0.57–1.31) |
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Acknowledgements
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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El Ansari, W.; Khalil, K.; Stock, C. Symptoms and Health Complaints and Their Association with Perceived Stressors among Students at Nine Libyan Universities. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2014, 11, 12088-12107. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph111212088
El Ansari W, Khalil K, Stock C. Symptoms and Health Complaints and Their Association with Perceived Stressors among Students at Nine Libyan Universities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2014; 11(12):12088-12107. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph111212088
Chicago/Turabian StyleEl Ansari, Walid, Khalid Khalil, and Christiane Stock. 2014. "Symptoms and Health Complaints and Their Association with Perceived Stressors among Students at Nine Libyan Universities" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 11, no. 12: 12088-12107. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph111212088
APA StyleEl Ansari, W., Khalil, K., & Stock, C. (2014). Symptoms and Health Complaints and Their Association with Perceived Stressors among Students at Nine Libyan Universities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(12), 12088-12107. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph111212088