Comparison: The Effect of Professional Examination Stress on Blood Pressure, Heart Rate and White Blood Cells
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55958/jcvd.v21i1.255Abstract
ABSTRACT:
Background: A study to compare the effect of professional examination stress on blood pressure, heart rate and white blood cells among medical students during their study of medical sciences -the walk to the exam is always a burdened for medical students.
Aim: To compare the heart rate, blood pressure, and white blood cells resulting from professional examination stress among students in a public medical college.
Methods: Participant enrollment took place after collecting consent from the entire participant pool of public medical college students in Lahore. The data acquisition utilized pre-designed performa. Analyzing the data by using SPSS version 27 included frequency and percentage results as qualitative outcomes. Quantitative data is presented as Mean±SD. The research used Independent sample t along with paired t-test and chi-square test to analyze results at a significant level of p-value ?5%.
Results: Total 283 female participants showed different degree of stress level during examination period. The average age of research participants as 23.67±0.45 with age range 20-28 years. Students those having history of psychiatry as 101(35.69%) and hypertensive students were as 82(28.98%). From the second to final years were chosen for the study as they were exposed to professional exams during their period in the college. Most of the participants enrolled in the study were from 3rd Prof with 101 students constituting 35.69% of the total. The examination stress caused subjects' heart rates to rise from 69.23 ± 6.69 bpm before test time to 77.05±4.70 bpm after the test period. The study recorded BP levels between 116.08±3.78 mmHg to 118.02±5.98 mmHg for systolic BP (P=0.003) and between 70.11±5.99 mmHg to 75.00±4.85 mmHg for diastolic BP (P=0.000) after examination stress. The research data reveals a statistically important change in Mean arterial BP (P=0.004). The count of White blood cells was 7215.67±678.12 x103/?L before examination while an examination stress revealed 8745.24±677.26 x103/?L. Mean white blood cell levels display a statistically noteworthy alteration (P=0.001).
Conclusion: Examination stress has negative effects on student’s physical and mental wellness as researchers observed that medical students face blood pressure changes, heart rate fluctuations and white blood cell variations. Therefore, young medical students require proper stress-coping strategies to be established.
Keywords: Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, White Blood Cells, Examination Stress
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