Stress symptoms and associated factors among adolescents in Dhaka, Bangladesh: findings from a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Stress affects adolescents’ daily lives by disrupting their working capacity and begets comorbidity. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of stress symptoms and the factors associated with these symptoms among secondary school-going adolescents in Bangladesh. Methods A cross-sectional study using two-stage cluster sampling was conducted. A self-administered questionnaire was given to 2355 adolescents from nine secondary schools in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Of the respondents, 2313 completed the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Sociodemographic information, self-reported body image, a modified Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ), and the WHO Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) were used to determine the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with stress symptoms among adolescents. Results Findings suggest that about 65% of adolescents experienced moderate stress symptoms, and about 9% experienced high-stress symptoms. Females (58.7%) suffered more from stress compared to males (41.3%). Age, grade, and residential setting were significantly associated with stress. Logistic regression estimates show that level of physical activity (AOR: 1.52; 95% CI:1.26–1.84), sleep dissatisfaction (AOR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.07–1.65), and perception of self as overweight/obese (AOR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.13–1.89) were significantly associated with stress symptoms among adolescents. Conclusions Stress symptoms are highly prevalent among secondary school adolescents in Bangladesh. Further exploratory investigations are needed on possible intervention strategies to reduce the burden of stress among adolescents.

Peculiarities of children's development during the transition age and the impact of this period of child development on the educational process

“…High school students face the most serious tasks: building new relationships with others, professional self-determination, autonomy from the family and other important components of entering adulthood. This period is characterized by frequent stress (Romeo, 2013;Anjum et al, 2022). Stress often creates uncertainty about the future.…”

The Impact of Stress and Depression on Adolescents: An Empirical Study

“…Stress is said to affect the daily lives of adolescents by upsetting their work capacity, so the existing investigator [21] has aimed to evaluate the occurrence of the symptoms and the aspects, that are associated with secondary school-going students in Bangladesh. This Cross-sectional study was conducted using twostage cluster sampling.…”