Stress and lifestyle behaviour changes in Maltese university students during exams : a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Examination periods are known to be stressful for university students, often leading to unhealthy lifestyle behaviour changes. This local study aimed to assess the levels of self-perceived stress and evaluate the potential link between any self-reported dietary and lifestyle changes and stress during one examination period for University of Malta (UM) students. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a quantitative, anonymised survey. design targeting students aged 18 years and above. Data were collected on dietary and lifestyle habits and changes, and perceived stress levels were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale, PSS4, during the January 2024 exam period. Ethical approval was obtained from the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FREC) at the University of Malta (Approval ID: xxx). Data were analysed using SPSS (IBM®version 29), with Chi-square tests applied to assess potential associations between categorical variables. 196 respondents returned the survey. Mostly were female (79.1%) and aged 18-25 years (80.6%). The majority reported increased consumption of sugary (73%) and salty snacks (54.6%), while 40.3% reported higher sugary drink consumption. Additionally, 50% of students reported meal skipping, and 51.5% indicated decreased physical activity. Adverse sleep patterns were reported by most (81.1%) of participants. During exams, nearly half of the participants sometimes felt unable to control key aspects of their lives, and another 29.1% felt this often. The findings highlight some negative changes in dietary habits and lifestyle behaviours during the examination period. These results underscore the importance of promoting healthy lifestyle strategies to support students during challenging times.