. Uchenwoke Chigozie Ikenna; . Loveth Nwuka Nwobodo; . Antoninus Obinna Ezeukwu; . Ijeoma Judith Ilo; . Stephen Sunday Ede; . Adaora Justina Okemuo; . Chisom Favour Okoh
Volume 12, Issue 11 , December 2022, , Pages 1-8
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Academic stress is a common experience among university students. It can affectthe body composition of the students through behavioral changes, which further affect their ...
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BACKGROUND: Academic stress is a common experience among university students. It can affectthe body composition of the students through behavioral changes, which further affect their physicalactivity level (PAL). Musculoskeletal disorders could arise from the interaction of these factors. Thisstudy aimed to determine the relationship between PAL, academic stress, selected anthropometricindices, and the development of MSDs among a selected Nigerian population.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross‑sectional study of 256 (129 females and 127 males)undergraduates of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus aged 15–30 years using Student’sStress Inventory to evaluate academic stress, the short‑form of the International Physical ActivityQuestionnaire to determine the PAL, and a Standard Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire toassess MSDs.RESULTS: The results showed a high PAL with the male students having more PAL (61.4%) thanfemale students. Secondly, the prevalence of MSDs among the population was high (66.02%)and the students faced moderate academic stress with the prevalence being more among thefemale students (75.2%). A significant difference was observed between academic stress and thedevelopment of MSDs (P = 0.009).CONCLUSION: This study’s findings support the hypothesis that increased academic stress and lowlevel of physical activity are linked to increased risks of MSDs among students. Thus, it is warrantedthat the University curriculum is re‑adjusted and incorporate public enlightenment programs onpossible causes and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, stress management, and copingstrategies.
