Awareness of Autoimmune Diseases and Its Association with Perceived Stress Levels Among Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Study

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) are chronic conditions resulting from immune system dysregulation. Psychological stress has been proposed as a modifiable factor that may contribute to both the onset and exacerbation of such diseases. However, little is known about how perceived stress levels influence medical students' awareness of autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to assess the level of awareness of autoimmune diseases among medical students and to examine its association with their perceived stress levels. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 80 medical students at Al-Iraqia University during the 2024–2025 academic year. Participants completed a self-administered online questionnaire that included demographic data, a 10-item autoimmune disease knowledge test, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Knowledge scores were compared across stress categories (low, moderate, high) using one-way ANOVA. Among 79 valid responses, 16.2% reported low stress, 55.0% moderate, and 28.7% high stress. No significant difference was found in knowledge scores between stress groups (p > 0.05). However, a statistically significant difference was observed between academic stages: third-year students scored higher on autoimmune knowledge than fourth-year students (p = 0.0047). While perceived stress levels were not significantly associated with autoimmune disease knowledge, academic stage appeared to play a notable role in knowledge retention. These findings highlight the importance of reinforcing basic immunological education throughout medical training and addressing stress as a component of academic support.