A CORRELATIONAL STUDY ON BLOOD PRESSURE, STRESS AND BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) AMONG BSC NURSING STUDENTS IN A SELECTED COLLEGE OF NURSING UDUPI DISTRICT

Abstract

Increasing trend of hypertension and overweight have become a global health problem among youngsters. Over weight is strongly related to high blood pressure and the consequences of the increasing prevalence of overweight will be enormous in the future. Students in nursing profession are adolescents and they may have adjustment problems with new surroundings such as hostel, hospital and new curriculum. The stress experienced may predispose them to have increased blood pressure. A Cross sectional, correlational survey was conductedon blood pressure, stress and body mass index (BMI) among 200 BSc. Nursing Students in a selected college of nursing in Udupi District. The objectives of the study were to determine the blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI) and stress level of BSc nursing students, to compare the BP, BMI and stress of various batches of BSc nursing students and to determine the relationship among Blood pressure, BMI and stress. It is observed that 45% of the subjects were in pre hypertensive stage, and 3% in hypertension stage. Majority of the subjects had normal BMI. Moderate stress was experienced by 95.5% of the subjects. Study found a weak but positive correlation between BMI and BP and negative correlation with stress. A significant difference was found in mean stress score among four batches of students. There was no significant difference in BMI and BP of four batches of students. As nursing students experience stress, adequate support structures for clinical areas, preceptorshipprogrammes and the availability of student counselling services may be helpful to cope with the stress experienced.

Keywords

young adult - systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure(DBP)

Publication History

Article published online:
27 June 2020

• References

• 1 Irazusta J, Gil S, Ruiz F, Gondra J, Jauregi A. Exercise, physical fitness and dietary habits of first-year female nursing students. Biol Res Nurs. 2006 Jan;7(3):175-86. Available At Http://Www.Ncbi.Nim.Nih.Gov/Pubmed/
• 2 Carol A K, Beth BM, Martha Κ E,Melvin S. Prevalence of Elevated Body Mass Index and Blood Pressure in a Rural School-Aged Population: Implications for School Nurses. J Sch Health. 2006;76(4):145-149)
• 3 Kouvonen AM, Kivi Maki, Cox SJ, Cox T. Relatioship between work stress and body mass index among 48810 female and male employees. Journal of psychosomatic medicine. 2005 Jul-Aug;67(4):577-83.
• 4 Haack M R. Stress And Impairment Among Nursing Students. Division of Biometry and Epidemiology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; Perspectives in Public Health, Rockville;119 (3):156-162 (1999) Available At Http://Www.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/Pubmed/
• 5 Mohan B. Prevalence of Sustained Hypertension and Obesity in Urban and Rural School Going Children in Ludhiana; Indian Heart Journal; 56(4):310-4, 2004 Jul-Aug.
• 6 Kaufman J S Jay S, Asuzu M C, Mufunda J, Forrester T, Wilks R, et al. Relationship Between Blood Pressure and Body Mass Index in Lean Populations Hypertension. 1997 30:1511-16. Available At Http://Bases.Bireme.Br/Cgi-Bin/Wxislind.Exe/lah/Online/?lsisscript=lah/lah.Xis&Src6.
• 7 Chhabra P, Grover V L. Nutritional Status and Blood Pressure of Medical Students In Delhi, India Journal of Community Medicine 31(4). Oct-Dece 2006.
• 8 Polit DF, BecK CT. Nursing research. 9^th Edition. Philadelphia; LippinCott: 2008.