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Symptoms and Health Complaints and Their Association with Perceived Stressors among Students at Nine Libyan Universities

Author

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  • Walid El Ansari

    (Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Gloucester GL2 9HW, UK)

  • Khalid Khalil

    (Faculty of Medical Technology, Misrata, Libya)

  • Christiane Stock

    (Unit for Health Promotion Research, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg 6700, Denmark)

Abstract

University students are exposed to many stressors. We assessed the associations between two stressors (educational related and general overall), socio-demographic characteristics (five variables), health behaviours/lifestyle factors (six variables), as well as religiosity and quality of life as independent variables, with self-reported symptoms/health complaints as dependent variables (eight health complaints). A sample of 2100 undergraduate students from nine institutions (six universities, three colleges) located in seven cities in Libya completed a general health questionnaire. The most prevalent symptoms were headaches, depressive mood, difficulties to concentrate and sleep disorder/insomnia that have been reported by 50%–60% of the students. The majority of students (62%) reported having had three or more symptoms sometimes or very often in the last 12 months. There was a positive association between perceived stressors and health symptoms, which remained significant after adjustment for gender and many other relevant factors for headache (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.15–2.02), depressive mood (OR 2.20; 95% CI 1.64–2.94) and sleep disorder/ insomnia (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.19–2.03). Other factors independently associated with most health symptoms were female gender and poor self-perceived health. Stress management programmes and a reduction of educational related stressors might help to prevent stress-related symptoms and health complaints in this student population.

Suggested Citation

  • Walid El Ansari & Khalid Khalil & Christiane Stock, 2014. "Symptoms and Health Complaints and Their Association with Perceived Stressors among Students at Nine Libyan Universities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-20, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:11:y:2014:i:12:p:12088-12107:d:42722
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Walid El Ansari & Christiane Stock, 2010. "Is the Health and Wellbeing of University Students Associated with their Academic Performance? Cross Sectional Findings from the United Kingdom," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-19, February.
    2. Shaher H. Hamaideh, 2012. "Gender differences in stressors and reactions to stressors among Jordanian university students," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 58(1), pages 26-33, January.
    3. Denton, Margaret & Prus, Steven & Walters, Vivienne, 2004. "Gender differences in health: a Canadian study of the psychosocial, structural and behavioural determinants of health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(12), pages 2585-2600, June.
    4. Walid El Ansari & Reza Oskrochi & Ghollamreza Haghgoo, 2014. "Are Students’ Symptoms and Health Complaints Associated with Perceived Stress at University? Perspectives from the United Kingdom and Egypt," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-22, September.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Janet Junqing Chu & Mobarak Hossain Khan & Heiko J. Jahn & Alexander Kraemer, 2015. "Comparison of Subjective Health Complaints between Chinese and German University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Carlos Freire & María del Mar Ferradás & José Carlos Núñez & Antonio Valle & Guillermo Vallejo, 2018. "Eudaimonic Well-Being and Coping with Stress in University Students: The Mediating/Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Walid El Ansari & Abdul Salam, 2020. "Is Achieving the Guidelines of Four Forms of Physical Activity Associated with Less Self-Reported Health Complaints? Cross-Sectional Study of Undergraduates at the University of Turku, Finland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-19, August.

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