[01] Cayson Ooi Yi Chung, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Academy of Higher Education), Muar, Malaysia. [02] Dan Chiu Ping, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Academy of Higher Education), Muar, Malaysia. [03] Puteri Suziani Zahari, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Academy of Higher Education), Muar, Malaysia. [04] Tharoun Sharma Ravindran, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Academy of Higher Education), Muar, Malaysia. [05] Kalaiyarasi Kannathasan, Faculty of Medicine, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Academy of Higher Education), Muar, Malaysia.

Academic stress is one of the prevailing issues faced by students nowadays and it could also affect other aspects of students’ lives if kept unbothered. There are many factors which contribute to academic stress experienced by undergraduate students. One of these factors is self-esteem which is considered to have an influence in explaining why the students undergo academic stress. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the level of academic stress and self-esteem in medical students of Melaka Manipal Medical College (MMMC). Undergraduate medical students were invited to participate during the lecture class. Self-administered questionnaire was used to assess socio-demographic data, self-esteem and academic stress. Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale was used to determine self-esteem while Perception of Academic Stress (PAS) scale was used for academic stress. Unpaired t-test, ANOVA and linear regression were used for statistical analysis. A total of 204 clinical year medical students participated. 80.88% of the students were found to have a high level of stress. However, the bivariate analysis shows no association between gender, ethnicity, relationship status, physical activity and academic stress. There was a significant positive association between self-esteem and academic stress (regression coefficient -0.522; P value<0.001), indicating that the higher the self-esteem, the lower the academic stress. Majority of the undergraduate medical students had high academic stress. Interventions to lower academic stress and to increase self-esteem should be carried out so that the learning process of students will be efficient.

Academic Stress, Self-esteem, Medical Student

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