Evaluation of Stress and Cardiovascular Risk Factors among Medical Students at Joseph KI-ZERBO University

Objective: To evaluate the level of stress and cardiovascular risk factors among medical students at Joseph KI-ZERBO University. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional, prospective, descriptive, and analytical study with prospective data collection conducted from December 1 to 31, 2024. Results: During the study period, 440 students were included. The average age was 23.74 ± 1.62 years, ranging from 18 to 35 years. A male predominance (54.77%) was observed, with a sex ratio of 1.21. High stress was perceived by 32.5% of the students, with an average Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score of 20.67, ranging from 4 to 37. In multivariate analysis, six (06) factors were significantly associated with high stress levels: Age above 30 years (OR = 2.58 [1.02 - 6.53], p = 0.041), Doctorate level of education (OR = 2.48 [1.01 - 6.12], p = 0.001), Repeating a year of study (OR = 1.54 [1.07 - 2.20], p = 0.018), Regular physical activity (OR = 2.23 [1.55 - 3.47], p = 0.000), Obesity (OR = 5.68 [1.96 - 16.47], p = 0.006), Waist circumference (OR = 3.96 [2.02 - 9.24], p = 0.002). Furthermore, the factors associated with high blood pressure were: Age above 30 years (OR = 1.45 [0.22 - 0.96], p = 0.007), Doctorate level of education (OR = 2.06 [1.21 - 3.52], p = 0.015), Participation in extracurricular activities (OR = 1.98 [1.81 - 2.25], p = 0.043), Tobacco consumption (OR = 2.05 [1.72 - 3.88], p = 0.007) and energy drink consumption (OR = 1.24 [1.01 - 1.77], p = 0.034), Obesity (OR = 3.28 [3.06 - 5.98], p = 0.001), Waist circumference (OR = 2.84 [1.98 - 7.22], p = 0.041). Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of stress among medical students at Joseph KI-ZERBO University. Associated with multidimensional factors (demographic, academic and lifestyle-related).