Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Academic Stress in Young University Students of Dentistry in Tacna, 2025

Abstract

Objective: To determine the sociodemographic factors associated with academic stress in university dentistry students in
Tacna, 2025. Materials and methods: A quantitative, non experimental, cross sectional, and relational study was conducted at the School of Dentistry of the Jorge Basadre Grohmann National University. The opulation consisted of 207 students from the first to the sixth year, and the sample comprised 139 students selected through non probability convenience sampling. A sociodemographic data form and the Academic Stress Questionnaire, consisting of 30 items distributed across four dimensions using a Likert type scale, were used. Results: The majority of students presented moderate academic stress (49,6%), followed by low stress (38,8%) and high stress (11,5%). A significant association was observed between age and academic stress level (p = 0,000) and between sex and stress level (p = 0,014), while academic year showed no significant association (p = 0,242). Likewise, the physical, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions were associated with age and sex, while the emotional dimension was related to age, sex, and year of study. Conclusion: Age and sex are identified as sociodemographic factors associated with  academic stress and its physical, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions, while academic year is primarily linked to the emotional response. These findings highlight the need to implement institutional strategies for the prevention and management of academic stress across the entire program.