Physical Exercise as a Stress-Coping Mechanism Among Physiotherapy Students at the University of Zambia

Background: Mental health is a major public health concern affecting many populations worldwide, including university students. There has been mounting evidence of various coping mechanisms which are being utilised by the university student population and various studies have shown their effects on mental health. Physiotherapy students undergo health personnel training which is attributed to high levels of stress due to the high clinical demands, academic pressure and practical skills that must be developed to deliver hands-on expertise. Although various studies on stress levels and coping mechanisms have been documented internationally, stress levels and stress-coping mechanisms have not been studied extensively in the university setting locally, among physiotherapy students, and not much has been seen about the use of physical exercise (PE) as an effective and healthy stress-coping mechanism. Objective: To investigate the role of PE as a stress-coping mechanism amongst physiotherapy students at the University of Zambia (UNZA), Ridgeway campus. Methodology: A qualitative descriptive method was used in this study. A quota sampling method was used to get a representation of the entire full-time, undergraduate physiotherapy student population. Focus group discussions were used to collect data. Four focus groups were formed with each class having 7, 10, 10, and 8 participants, respectively. Audio-recorded data was transcribed and reported verbatim, and deductive thematic analysis was employed as the focus group discussion guide was based on predetermined themes from the objectives of the study. Results: The study showed that student stress levels differed significantly with the year of study, with senior students (fourth and fifth years) reporting to feel more stressed. On the other hand, for the junior students, while second years found their course load to be manageable, most third years described their course load to be stressful. Stress-coping mechanisms differed among students. Most females were seen to use emotion-focused and avoidant coping mechanisms such as sleeping, talking to people, listening to music, watching movies, and stress-eating. While most males were seen to use problem-focused coping such as jogging, running, and taking walks. Students also showed awareness of the physiological effects exercise has in improving a person’s mood. Conclusion: The physical benefits of physical exercise are well known and documented, but its use in mental health promotion amongst students is not known. The findings showed that despite most of the participants being aware of the role of physical exercise in stress-coping, very few intentionally utilise it to cope with stress. This finding shows that more efforts should be channelled into health promotion and collaborations with university management to promote mental health and incorporate PE and its importance in mental health and overall well-being.