School-Related Stressors and the Intensity of Perceived Stress Experienced by Adolescents in Poland.

Maria Kaczmarek,Sylwia Trambacz-Oleszak

doi:10.3390/ijerph182211791

Abstract

Higher stress reactivity during adolescence is a vulnerability marker of exposure to various environmental stressors. This study aimed to investigate the association between a high level of perceived stress experienced by adolescents and stressful stimuli induced from school environment, peer, and parental relationships. The data used were from a cross-sectional, observational study conducted in a stratified sample of 1846 adolescents (13–18 years) in the Wielkopolska province, Poland. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires and anthropometric measurements. Perceived stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The association of a high level of perceived stress with school-induced exposures was determined using multivariate logistic regression after adjusting for gender, age, height and weight status and interpersonal relationships (STATISTICA 13.1). It was found that girls were over three times more likely than boys to experience a high level of perceived stress. Moreover, girls appeared to be more vulnerable than boys to school-related stressors and weight status, while boys to stressors that can arise from interpersonal relationships. School environment was the only predictor factor of high perceived stress level with a large effect size in both boys (OR = 4.45; 95% CI: 3.11–6.36) and girls (OR = 6.22; 95% CI: 4.18–7.59). Given the findings of the present study, preventive programs are critical to mitigate the effect of stress from school on adolescents’ health and well-being.

Highlights

Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood
Direct associations were found for gender, with girls being over 3 times more likely than boys to experience perceived stress at high level (OR = 3.22; 95% CI: 2.15–5.82); age, with 13 years of age as reference category; weight status for overweight/obese adolescents and normal weight status as reference category; school-induced stress and its specific causes: upcoming tests, participating in class and lack of support from teachers; peer pressures and parental high expectations
Utilizing a transactional model of stress and coping and a large sample of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, the present study provides the first, as we believe, data that show perceived stress in relation to school environment, peers, and parents among Polish youths

Summary

Introduction

Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood. Adolescence is considered a window of heightened vulnerability to intense, acute and/or chronic stress [4]. Consistent with this is a dramatic rise of acute responses to various stressors. Typical sources of stressors in adolescence are physical (abrupt changes in bodily appearance, development of secondary sexual characteristics, sexual maturation), cognitive (perturbations of the maturing brain), social and environmental (school-induced stress, relations with teachers, parents, and peers) life changes that are novel, challenging, and stressful to young people [5,6]. Cumulative and chronic stressors may lead to increased emotional distress, antisocial and risky-for-health behaviors, somatic symptoms, can cause elevated blood pressure, weaken the immune system, and generally, can have negative and lasting effects on physical and mental health in adulthood [8,9]

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