Factors associated with stress levels in secondary school students under Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relationship between demographic factors, stressors, self-esteem and family functions and stress levels in secondary school students under Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Method: This was a cross–sectional descriptive study in grade 7-12 students under Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The research tools were personal questionnaire, 5-level Likert Scale to investigate stressors in adolescence, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (Thai version), Chulalongkorn Family Inventory (CFI) and Stress Self-Test for Thai people. Descriptive statistics were used to find frequency, percent, and mean. Analytic statistics such as, Independent Sample T-Test, One-Way ANOVA, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, Multiple Regression Analysis were employed to find the association between variable factors and stress levels. 

Result: The study population 541 of 988 (54.7%) had higher stress levels than normal. The statistically significant variables associated with students^, stress were self–esteem, stressors (future, educational institute, time allocation, family, teacher, and education), family functioning (affective involvement and affective responsiveness) and demographic factors (people whom participants currently living with). All aforementioned variables could jointly predict the students’ stress level at 43.7 % (R²= 0.437).

Conclusion: More than half of secondary school students had higher stress level than normal. The higher stress related to several factors. However, all associated factors in this study could partially predict students^, stress.