The Influence of Social Support, Self-Efficacy, Physical Activity, and Personality Type on Stress Levels among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study is to investigate the intricate relationship between social support, self-efficacy, physical activity, personality type, and stress levels among university students. This study employed an analytic observational cross-sectional design, and data were collected from ۳۲۹ respondents using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-۴۲ (DASS-۴۲) questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), General Self-Efficacy Scales (GSES) to measure self-efficacy, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to measure physical activity, personality type assessed using the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI). Purposive sampling was utilized to select samples based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and statistical analyses, including chi-square and logistic regression tests, were conducted to examine the associations between variables. It was found that ۴۱.۹% of students experienced stress, while ۵۸.۱% did not experience stress. Notably, higher levels of social support and self-efficacy were linked with reduced stress, with ۸۷.۴% of students reporting high social support and ۸۳.۲% with high self-efficacy remaining stress-free. In contrast, lower levels of these factors were associated with higher stress incidence. Moreover, good physical activity habits were correlated with lower stress levels (۷۳.۸%), contrasting with poor physical activity linked to heightened stress (۷۲.۵%). In addition, students with introverted personalities demonstrated higher stress rates (۷۲.۵%). Importantly, the study identified a significant influence of social support, self-efficacy, physical activity, and personality type on stress levels (p < ۰.۰۵). Fostering social support networks, enhancing self-efficacy beliefs, and promoting physical activity are effective to alleviate stress among university students.

Keywords:

Social Support , self-efficacy , physical activity , Personality type , Stress