This study aimed to assess the prevalence and magnitude of stress in Saudi undergraduate medical students and its associated socio-demographic factors using a cross-sectional design. It was conducted at King Khalid University Medical College during September-October 2016, including 267 students of both sexes and all study levels. Data was collected using an anonymous self administered questionnaire including socio-demographic information like participant details and family details, along with the Kessler -10 scale for measuring stress. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS 17.0. Results were de-scribed as frequencies, percentages, mean±SD. Independent samples t test and ANOVA were used to study the relationship of stress with various social and demographic factors. A mean stress score of 23.46±7.77 was observed. This is graded as mild stress according to Kessler scale classification. Forty four students, i.e. 16.5% reported perception of high stress, while 23.6% students perceived mild and 26.6% reported moderate stress. Students who perceived no stress comprised one third (33.3%) of the study population. A significant relationship of female gender with stress was observed (p˂0.0001). It was concluded that most of the medical students undergo some degree of stress during their study period and female students have significantly more stress than their male counterparts.
Key words: Female students, Medical education, Saudi Arabia, Stress
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