Stress Levels In Medical Students Research Articles

A Longitudinal Study of the Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Anxiety and Stress among Medical University Students

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was declared an international health emergency by the World Health Organization. The dramatic, widespread transmission of the virus, high mortality, and lack of specific drugs caused the development of panic attacks and anxiety. Healthcare professionals, including medical students, were challenged to provide medical care to patients in need, often exposing themselves to the virus. (2) Methods: This study aimed to assess anxiety and stress levels in medical students, both at the beginning and after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The STAI and PSS-10 questionnaires were used. (3) Results: This study showed a decrease in anxiety levels among medical students after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. In both 2020 and 2022, female students were found to experience higher stress levels than male students. Anxiety levels were similar among students of different medical-related faculties. (4) Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic caused stress and anxiety among medical students, which decreased throughout the duration of the pandemic.

Stress and Coping Strategies among Medical Students in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2020: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background:: Studies conducted worldwide have found that medical students have higher levels of stress than students in other fields. Chronic stress can result in increased rates of fatigue, depression, and impairment in function. Although this phenomenon has been studied globally, there has been limited attention in our region. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess stress levels in medical students in Dubai and evaluate their coping strategies to highlight the importance of shedding light on the psychological well-being of this population. Methods:: A cross-sectional design was utilized for this study. The target population consisted of all medical students enrolled at a local university for the 2020-2021 academic year. The participants completed a survey that collected information on stress and coping strategies. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the Brief COPE inventory were utilized to gather the data. Results:: The total of 97 individuals completed the study questionnaire. The rates of high stress levels according to the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) were higher among medical students in the first to the third year (43.6%), when compared to medical students in the fourth and fifth years (7.7%). Results of the Brief COPE inventory indicated that the average score for a Problem Focused coping style among medical students fell in the medium to high range (22 out of 32). Conclusion:: Levels of stress are elevated among medical students. Coping responses reflect the individual’s psychological adjustment and well-being. Our study sample revealed a medium to high rate of engagement in healthy coping strategies. Future research that evaluates the psychological impact of stress in-depth and explores effective strategies to enhance coping is highly warranted.

SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS ON HOW ASANA AND PRANAYAMA YOGA AFFECTS STRESS LEVELS IN MEDICAL STUDENTS

Background: Medical students are susceptible to mental illnesses that are brought on by expectations for exceeding academic success. To avoid more serious risks in the future, medical students must manage their stress because it contributes to anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and decreased academic success. Regular yoga practice is one effective and efficient lifestyle modification that can be used to handle stress. This systematic review shows how yoga can help medical students feel less stressed. This study aims to determine the effect between the duration and frequency of Asana and Pranayama Yoga on stress levels in medical students.Methods: Studies till 2022 are used in this systematic review. Articles were accumulated using PubMed, ProQuest, and EBSCOhost. Each search engine has its own designated keywords. Studies were assessed using the NHLBI Study Quality Assessment Tools. Ten studies met the criteria for this study and were all used and analyzed. Results: There were ten studies that met this systematic review criteria and were rated as having good quality by the NHLBI quality assessment tool. All studies showed an association between the frequency of yoga sessions and reduced stress in medical students. Some studies had shorter yoga sessions than others, so the duration of each session did not affect the results as much as the frequency. Conclusion: This study shows that the frequency of yoga sessions has an impact, resulting in lower stress levels in medical students. The impact of yoga duration is minimal when compared to yoga frequency. Yoga should be applied as an intervention to increase the quality of life of medical students.

Stress and sleep quality in medical students: a cross-sectional study from Vietnam.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant global social and economic disruptions, as well as changes in personal attitude and behavior. The purpose of this research is to assess the sleep quality and stress levels of medical students. Data was collected from medical students over the course of a month in 2021. A total of 4,677 students at the University of Medicine Pham Ngoc Thach were invited to complete an anonymous web-based survey, which included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire Index (PSQI) for measuring sleep quality and the COVID-19 Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ) for evaluating stress. A total of 1,502 students participated in our survey. More than half of the participants exhibited poor quality of sleep as indicated by their PSQI score. Many students reported going to bed after midnight and spending time on their smartphones. Among the students surveyed, 21.84% experienced low levels of stress (CSSQ ≤6), 63.38% had mild stress (7 ≤ CSSQ score ≤ 14), 14.78% reported high levels of stress (CSSQ >14). This study showed a high prevalence of poor sleep quality in the surveyed students, which could be attributed to changes in their behavior following the COVID-19 outbreak. Mild stress was also frequently observed, and it may be related to sleep disorders in this population. These important findings provide valuable insights for making recommendations, including lifestyle modifications to improve sleep quality.

The effect of mindfulness interventions on stress in medical students: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Medical students have high levels of stress, which is associated with higher incidents of burnout, depression, and suicide compared to age-matched peers. Mindfulness practices have been shown to reduce stress among medical students. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine if mindfulness interventions have an overall effect on stress outcomes in the high-stress population of medical students globally, particularly given the wide variety of interventions. Any intervention designed to promote mindfulness was included. A comprehensive literature search was completed to include multiple databases, ancestry, and hand-searching and 35 studies were included. Standardized mean difference effect sizes (ES) were synthesized across studies using a random-effects model for changes in stress levels in medical students ≥ 18. Moderator analyses were performed to explore variations in effects by participant and intervention characteristics. Mindfulness interventions significantly improved stress among medical students in both the two-arm studies (d = 0.370, k = 19, n = 2,199, 95% CI 0.239-0.501, p < .001) and one-arm pre-post studies (d = 0.291, k = 30, n = 18 (two cohorts from Dyrbye et al), 95% CI 0.127-0.455, p = 0.001). Moderator analyses found trends in less hours and less required practice resulted in better improvement in stress. This study further confirms that despite a wide variety of mindfulness interventions for medical students around the world, they produce an overall small-to-moderate effect on stress reduction. Future research looking at the most effective protocols for high-stress medical students would be beneficial.

Role of Meditation in Ameliorating Examination Stress Induced Changes in Cardiovascular and Autonomic Functions.

Examination stress is a very well-known model of psychological stress in students. It induces changes in systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), along with changes in heart rate variability (HRV) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), due to autonomic perturbations. To find out if Raj Yoga meditation (RYM) practice affects autonomic and cardiovascular function in healthy young subjects during periods of examination stress. Our primary objective was to evaluate the effect of one month of supervised RYM practice on ameliorating examination-induced changes in cardiovascular and autonomic function. The secondary objective was to measure the stress levels of medical students before and after RYM. Pre-training measurements of SBP, DBP, HRV, and BRS were done, and the Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ) was administered to 80 participants one month before examinations. They were then trained in RYM. Post-training assessment of the same parameters was done after examinations and also after two months. In our study, RYM training decreased DBP (p = 0.01) but not SBP. BRS showed a trend towards an increase after RYM practice, but it was not statistically significant (p = 0.44). The standard deviation of the NN interval (SDNN) (p = 0.03), low-frequency (LF) nu (0.003), and high-frequency (HF) nu (0.04) showed a statistically significant change. Average RR, median RR, average rate, square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (RMSSD), pRR, total power, LF (µs2), and LF/HF ratio were not statistically significantly different between the three groups. There was a statistically significant decline in MSSQ scores for MSSQ I (p = 0.04), MSSQ II (p = 0.04), and MSSQ IV (p = 0.03). Short-term practice of supervised RYM during stressful periods is protective for the cardiovascular and autonomic systems and decreases stress in medical students.

The art of seeing: The impact of a visual arts course on medical student wellbeing

Purpose Medical student burnout is becoming increasingly common. The Art of Seeing is a visual arts elective at one US medical school. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of this course on attributes that are foundational to wellbeing: mindfulness, self-awareness, and stress. Methods A total of 40 students participated in this study from 2019 through 2021. Fifteen students participated in the pre-pandemic, in-person course, and 25 students participated in the post-pandemic, virtual course. Pre and post-tests included open-ended responses to works of art, which were coded for themes, and standardized scales: mindful attention awareness scale (MAAS), situational self-awareness scale (SSAS), and perceived stress questionnaire (PSQ). Results The students had statistically significant improvements on the MAAS (p < .01), the SSAS (p < .01), and the PSQ (p = 0.046). Improvements in the MAAS and the SSAS did not depend on class format. Students also demonstrated increased focus on the present moment, emotional awareness, and creative expression in the post test free responses. Conclusions This course significantly improved mindfulness, self-awareness, and stress levels in medical students, and can be used to help enhance wellbeing and mitigate burnout in this population, both in-person and virtually.

Effect of Heartfulness Meditation on Cortisol Levels and Vital Parameters in Healthy Female Medical StudentsA Prospective Longitudinal Study

Introduction: Medical education has been reported to be one of the most stressful academic curriculum worldwide, with a potential of negatively affecting the physical and mental health of medical students. Meditation is a self-produced relaxation technique which restores the mental peace by relieving emotional and physiological stress and is an accepted therapy to reduce stress. Aim: To study the effect of heartfulness meditation on cortisol levels and vital parameters in healthy female medical students. Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective longitudinal study conducted in the department of physiology at Sri Padmavathi Medical College for women, SVIMS, Andhra Pradesh, India. Sixty female medical students of age group 18 to 25 years were undergone heartfulness meditation training for a period of 6 months from September 2021 to February 2022 Baseline measurements of cortisol, heart rate, Respiratory Rate (RR) and Blood Pressure (BP) were taken at the beginning of the session and after 6 months of intervention program i.e., from September 2021 to February 2022. Later pre and postvalues were compared and analysed statistically by using paired sample t-test and the p-value &lt;0.05 or 5% was used as level of significance for comparison. For data analysis Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 was used. Results: The vital signs and cortisol levels in female medical students were significantly changed after practicing heartfulness meditation for six months. There was a significant decrease in Pulse Rate (PR) (p&lt;0.001), RR (p&lt;0.001), Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) (p&lt;0.001) and Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) (p&lt;0.001) and cortisol levels (p&lt;0.001) after 6 months practice of heartfulness meditation. Conclusion: The study concluded that heartfulness meditation had a positive effect on sympathovagal balance and also it was effective in reducing stress levels in medical students.

Stress Levels in Medical Students of Airlangga University Class of 2020

Background: Stress is very common in students life, especially among students of the Faculty of Medicine. Aims: To describe the stress level of Airlangga University Medical Students Class of 2020. Methods: This study was a quantitative descriptive study with a cross sectional design and consecutive sampling. This study was conducted on 74 medical students of Airlangga University Class of 2020 using online questionnaire containing DASS-21. Results: Majority of students were 20 years old (51,4%) and female (71,6%). The majority of students had stress in normal level with 40 people (54,1%), followed by severe level namely 11 people (14.9%), then a mild level namely 10 people (13.5%), moderate level with 9 people (12.2%), and last, very severe level, namely 4 people (4%). Conclusions: The most stress level in medical students of Airlangga University is at normal level.

Visual-graphic spiral pattern can reduce medical-associated stress during the geomagnetic storm

Introduction. About 18% of all health problems in the working population are related to stress, depression and anxiety. The consequences of industrial stress exacerbated by unfavorable geomagnetic activity, can manifest itself in an increase in the psychophysiological “price” of activity, overstrain and depletion of the regulatory mechanisms of functional systems that ensure the adaptation of the body to vital factors and, ultimately, in a significant deterioration in the health of workers. Medical workers occupy a special place in the structure of professional groups of the working population, since they are at increased risk of neuro-emotional overstrain up to the development of professional burnout syndrome.&#x0D; The aim of the study is to develop and test a technique that helps to reduce the level of stress and emotional load affecting the psychophysiological state of a person.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The study involved 15 relatively healthy medical students aged 19 to 25 years. The algorithm of the study was as follows: the forecast of geomagnetic storms (G3-5) was tracked on the website of the Laboratory of X-ray Astronomy of the Sun (https://tesis.lebedev.ru /). During the storm a student was given the graphic task, in the form of synchronous outlines of stencils with two hands, before and after completing the experimental task the subject was asked to pass psychological tests: a visual-analog scale of situational emotional state according to the Dembo-Rubinstein method and the Spielberger-Khanin scale of personal and situational anxiety (STAI). The electroencephalogram was recorded using an electroencephalograph recorder "Encephalan-EEGR-19/26".&#x0D; Results. The Dembo-Rubinstein technique showed that after passing the experimental task 21% of the subjects significantly improved their emotional state according to a quantitative assessment of the visual-analog scale of situational emotional state. The level of personal anxiety also significantly decreased by 5% and the level of situational anxiety did not change, the assessment was carried out using the Spielberger-Khanin scale of personal and situational anxiety (STAI).&#x0D; Limitations. The obtained results require further verification on the larger experimental groups with the involvement of medical workers of different age and specialties; lengthening the period of observation of the recorded indicators after completing of the tactile-graphical task to clarify the timing of changes in indicators of situational emotional state and personal anxiety.&#x0D; Conclusions. A simple technique for reducing stress levels in medical students has proved its effectivity in changing the psychophysiological manifestation of stress, since the level of stress activity is directly related to the degree of personal anxiety. This technique can be recommended to medical workers and students as an exercise to improve cognitive activity by reducing stress and anxiety associated with the influence of geomagnetic storms, which increase sensitivity to external stress factors, on the psychophysiological state of a person.

Russian medical students in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: emotional reactions and baseline beliefs

IntroductionDuring the pandemic of new coronavirus infection, some medical students were actively recruited to work with infected patients, which could provoke depression, anxiety, and stress. The concept of baseline beliefs predicts characteristics of individuals’ experience of trauma.ObjectivesThe study aimed to determine depression, anxiety, and stress levels in medical students and examine their baseline beliefs, as well as the relationship between baseline beliefs and emotional reactions.MethodsData were collected in the spring and summer of 2020 using a Google form that we developed. Thirty-seven medical students participated in the study. The WAS-37 questionnaire was used to examine baseline beliefs and the DASS-21 to measure depression, anxiety, and stress. Both questionnaires were adapted for use in Russia.Results We found that 78 % of the respondents had no depression, 86 % had no manifestations of anxiety, and 83 % felt stress-free. The mean values on the “Benevolence in the World” scale (M = 32.3±8.0) were within the average normative values, those on the “Justice” scale (M = 19.8±5.0) were below them, and those on the “Self-Image” scale (M = 29.6±5.9), “Luck” (M = 32.5±6.9) and “Controlling Beliefs” (M = 27.3±4.1) were above the average normative values. We found only one statistically significant relationship between emotional reactions and baseline beliefs, a negative correlation between depression and luck (rx = -0.360, p &lt; 0.05).ConclusionsIn pandemic medical students, beliefs about one’s luck were associated with lower levels of depression.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

The US Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 Scoring Change: A Survey of Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Applicants From the 2019 to 2020 Match Cycle.

The USMLE Step 1 examination has been used as an objective measure for comparing residency applicants. Recently, the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Federation of State Medical Boards decided that the USMLE Step 1 examination will transition to a pass/fail result starting no earlier than 2022. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perspective of medical students who applied for orthopaedic surgery residency positions during the 2019 to 2020 interview cycle on the USMLE scoring change, and the potential effect this change may result in for future applicants and the residency selection process. A 15-item anonymous web-based survey was sent to 1,090 orthopaedic surgery residency applicants from four regionally diverse residency programs. The survey elicited attitudes toward the transition of the Step 1 examination to pass/fail and perspectives this change may or may not have on the residency selection process. Responses were received from 356 applicants (32.7%). The majority (61.6%) disagreed with the change to pass/fail scoring, and 68.5% do not believe that the change will decrease stress levels in medical students. For interview invitations, respondents chose Step 2 clinical knowledge, letters of recommendation, and performance on away rotations as the most influential factors in the absence of a Step 1 score. Most of the students surveyed who applied for an orthopaedic surgery residency position during the most recent application cycle disagreed with the National Board of Medical Examiner/Federation of State Medical Board decision to change Step 1 to pass/fail and feel that this change may have disadvantage in certain student groups while either increasing or having no effect on medical student stress. IV.

Assessing medical students' perceived stress levels by comparing a chatbot-based approach to the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ20) in a mixed-methods study.

Digital transformation in higher education has presented medical students with new challenges, which has increased the difficulty of organising their own studies. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a chatbot in assessing the stress levels of medical students in everyday conversations and to identify the main condition for accepting a chatbot as a conversational partner based on validated stress instruments, such as the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ20). In this mixed-methods research design, medical-student stress level was assessed using a quantitative (digital- and paper-based versions of PSQ20) and qualitative (chatbot conversation) study design. PSQ20 items were also shortened to investigate whether medical students' stress levels can be measured in everyday conversations. Therefore, items were integrated into the chat between medical students and a chatbot named Melinda. PSQ20 revealed increased stress levels in 43.4% of medical students who participated (N = 136). The integrated PSQ20 items in the conversations with Melinda obtained similar subjective stress degree results in the statistical analysis of both PSQ20 versions. Qualitative analysis revealed that certain functional and technical requirements have a significant impact on the expected use and success of the chatbot. The results suggest that chatbots are promising as personal digital assistants for medical students; they can detect students' stress factors during the conversation. Increasing the chatbot's technical and social capabilities could have a positive impact on user acceptance.

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS LEVELS IN MEDICAL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS DURING COVID 19 PANDEMIC

Background: In present situation, Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has emerged as major threat to physical health of people, along with paramount socio-economic and unmeasurable psychological consequences globally. Psychological impact of these prevalent circumstances is far more challenging for medical students and medical teachers. Aim: This study focuses on assessing mental stress levels in medical students and teachers due to COVID-19 pandemic. Methods:Across-sectional observational study with a sample size of 119 medical students and 60 medical teachers was conducted by Department of Physiology, Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India. Two established validated scales - perceived stress scale -10 and Zung self-rating anxiety scale, were used to determine stress and anxiety status respectively of both medical students and medical teachers during ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and also decipher their association with other socio-demographic and emotional conditions. Data was collected through an online survey distributed as google forms. Results: Perceived stress and anxiety levels were high amongst both medical students and medical teachers. Correlational analysis revealed strong positive association between perceived stress score and anxiety score in both the groups. Even after normalization of age and similar distribution of gender in two groups - medical students had higher anxiety and perceived stress levels than medical teachers. Conclusion: The existing COVID outbreak is culminating to higher stress and anxiety levels in the medical profession with higher manifestation of the same in medical students. Remedial measures and effective training should be provided to this affected group.

Perceived Stress and Nomophobia in Medical Faculty Students during COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: This study aimed at investigating the stress levels of medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic and their fear of being deprived of their mobile phones (nomophobia). &#x0D; Method: An online questionnaire consisting of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Nomophobia Scale (NMP-Q) and sociodemographic data was completed with the participation of 341 students. &#x0D; Results: The use of smartphones increased during the COVID-19 pandemic andthis increase was statistically similar in both sexes. According to NMP-Q results, 67% of females were mildly, 32.1% were moderate, and 0.9% were severe nomophobic. Of the males 55% were mildly, while 39.3% were moderate, and 5.7% were found to be severe nomophobic. It was determined that the mean PSS scores of males were significantly higher than females. Mean scores of PSS and NMP-Q for students aged 20 and under were found to be similar to those of students over 20. There was a positive correlation between PSS scores and all dimensions of NMP-Q. &#x0D; Conclusion: Medical faculty students were found to be mild/moderate level nomophobic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, male medical students were more affected than female students, they felt greater stress, and had a higher tendency toward nomophobia.

The Relationship between Academic Procrastination and Stress Level of Medical Students

The schedule of a medical major is considered to be tight. This can lead to the emergence of greater stress levels in medical students. In the process, there is an act of delaying a job referred to as procrastination is the postponement of an action or task for another time, or even indefinitely. Procrastination of academic tasks can be referred to as academic procrastination. As a result, academic procrastination has become a well-known problem that affects students' performance as measured by grade point average (GPA). This paper will discuss the relationship between medical students' academic procrastination and stress levels.

Effect of parental relationships on stress levels of students in a medical college

Introduction: Multiple studies have been conducted on the theme of stress faced by medical students due to the load of medical education and lack of adequate stress coping skills which may affect the students variedly.&#x0D; Objective: To critically assess stress levels in medical students of Shifa College of Medicine (a private medical college in Islamabad, Pakistan) and the quality of relationship between students and parents, thereby studying a relationship between the two.&#x0D; Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the students of Shifa College of Medicine. A sample size of 315 students filled a pretested student stress questionnaire, which was made using the student life stress inventory survey consisting of 34 questions. Data was then analyzed using SPSS version 23.&#x0D; Results: Increased levels of stress were found to be common among medical students with a prevalence of 53.3% among our study group. A total of 65.7% students face stress due to the increased expectations of their parents. There was a positive correlation (p&lt;0.05) between stress faced by medical students and their relationship with parents. Academics, lack of recreational time and high self-expectations were also major contributors to student stress.&#x0D; Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is a positive relationship between parental involvement and medical student stress at Shifa College of Medicine, which manifested in the form of excessively high parental aspirations, leading to adverse effects on the academic, social and personal life of a medical student.

Levels of stress in medical students due to COVID-19

For medical schools, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated examination and curricular restructuring as well as significant changes to clinical attachments. With the available evidence suggesting that medical students’ mental health status...

Perceived Stress Among Medical Students and Doctors in India During COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: The present study was undertaken to assess the perceived stress levels in medical students and doctors in India during coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Various studies have been done to assess the perceived stress levels among medical professionals and other associated health care workers, but no significant study has been done among medical students. This study is done with a special emphasis on the latter. Methods: A semi-validated online questionnaire was used to collect stress scores among medical students and doctors using Perceived Stress Scale. The aggravating and relieving factors of stress were also recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 346 responses were analyzed from across various medical schools of country. The mean cumulative stress score among participants was 18.2 ± 6.8 indicating moderate stress with 34 (9.8%) respondents reporting high stress scores. Female gender was identified as a risk factor (OR 2.76, 95% CI: 1.58, 4.78; P

The effect of physical activity on stress levels of medical students: A cross-sectional analysis

Objectives&#x0D; To determine association between physical activity and hours of physical activity and stress levels in medical students &#x0D; Methods&#x0D; A cross sectional study was conducted at a private medical college in Karachi, during April and May 2015. Convenience sampling was used to identify the study participants. The subjects were medical students from year one through five. We interviewed 235 students. A pre-tested, self-administered three-part questionnaire was used to collect the data. The first part of the questionnaire inquired about the subjects’ demographics and exercise habits, the second part of the questionnaire was adapted from the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to determine stress scores within participants, and the third part of the questionnaire asked about other stress relieving factors.&#x0D; Results&#x0D; According to the PSS, 30.3% of the participants were moderately stressed. The mean PSS was found to be 16.95 ± 5.72. 2A significant correlation was found between physical activity and stress levels; those involved in physical activity were 52 percent less likely to be moderately stressed (OR 0.48, p-value = 0.015) as compared to those who had not partaken in physical activity. Furthermore, studentswho performed physical activity for &gt;4 hours per week had a lower mean PSS score (16.2) when compared to those who exercised for &lt;2 hours per week. (18.2). Post-hoc statistical testing revealed the difference to be significant (p=0.028).&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; Based on the findings of our study, we conclude that physical activity of any form is associated with significantly decreased stress levels in medical students.