The Prevalence and Associated Factors of Stress among Engineering Students of Bells University in Nigeria during the COVID-19 Movement Control Order (MCO)

Abstract

The novel coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have taken the world by storm, forcing dramatic alterations to daily living and generating a considerable degree of worry, fear, and concern among university students. The pandemic has disrupted the education of over one billion students in 129 countries around the world. As universities worldwide shifted to emergency remote teaching (ERT) via online platforms, this has further caused anxiety amongst the students. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and associated factors of stress among Engineering students at Bells university in Nigeria during the pandemic. Four hundred engineering students were randomly selected from Bells university during the movement control order. A cross-sectional online survey, using Cohen’s perceived stress scale questionnaire, was distributed among the students to measure their perception of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. The questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic characteristics and stress-related variables. It was found that of the 400 respondents, 13.8%, 74.8%, and 11.5% experienced low, moderate, and high levels of stress, respectively. Female gender (p < 0.05), Igbo ethnicity (p < 0.05) and smoking (p < 0.05) were significantly associated with higher levels of stress. Age group, regular exercise, and average daily sleeping hours were not associated with stress levels. Negative changes were reported in family income status (44.3%), internet connection status (54.3%), and satisfaction with online classes (55.0%). However, negative changes to family income, internet status, and online classes were not associated with higher stress levels. It was then concluded that there is a significant association between gender, ethnicity, smoking and stress among Bells university students during MCO.