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Table 1 Mean dental environmental stress (DES) questionnaire scores and comparison among 4 years

From: Perceived causes of stress among a group of western Canadian dental students

Category

Stressor

DES overall

DES by year

Sig. level

Year 1 (2016)

Year 2 (2015)

Year 3 (2014)

Year 4 (2013)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

Social-related stress

Living away from home

0.92 (1.14)

1.14 (0.96)

1.13 (1.25)

1.00 (1.38)

0.35 (0.61)

0.039*

Accommodations not being conducive for studying

1.77 (1.59)

2.04 (1.57)

2.00 (1.17)

1.44 (1.63)

1.65 (1.90)

0.292

Difficulty in making friends

0.62 (0.89)

0.74 (1.10)

0.78 (0.94)

0.56 (0.82)

0.42 (0.61)

0.720

Romantic relationships

1.63 (1.45)

1.59 (1.26)

1.50 (1.41)

1.81 (1.75)

1.53 (1.31)

0.973

Lack of time for relaxation

3.42 (1.33)

3.24 (1.13)

3.55 (1.43)

3.81 (1.39)

2.95 (1.27)

0.109

Lack of holiday time compared to other students

2.84 (1.39)

2.96 (1.10)

2.90 (1.55)

2.63 (1.64)

2.89 (1.24)

0.893

Social demands-family

1.49 (1.32)

1.18 (1.10)

1.37 (1.07)

1.92 (1.69)

1.39 (1.14)

0.531

Social demands-friends

1.65 (1.19)

1.80 (0.91)

1.63 (1.12)

1.70 (1.54)

1.39 (1.04)

0.562

Personal physical health

1.97 (1.62)

1.60 (1.61)

1.60 (1.70)

2.62 (1.79)

1.95 (1.08)

0.088

Physical health of others-significant other/family

1.51 (1.40)

1.18 (1.05)

1.47 (1.59)

2.14 (1.58)

1.13 (1.15)

0.145

Financial-related stress

Financial responsibilities-living expenses

2.33 (1.50)

2.32 (1.49)

2.05 (1.87)

2.52 (1.45)

2.37 (1.21)

0.757

Financial responsibilities-disposable income

2.18 (1.58)

2.38 (1.47)

1.71 (1.72)

2.39 (1.67)

2.11 (1.49)

0.499

Financial responsibilities-tuition costs

3.29 (1.46)

3.42 (1.35)

3.35 (1.49)

3.44 (1.45)

2.84 (1.61)

0.593

Financial responsibilities-transportation

1.62 (1.28)

1.35 (1.03)

1.33 (1.14)

1.88 (1.37)

1.84 (1.50)

0.404

Financial responsibilities-size of current debt load

3.23 (1.60)

3.00 (1.62)

3.21 (1.62)

3.42 (1.58)

3.26 (1.69)

0.793

Financial responsibilities-size of future debt load

3.36 (1.59)

3.42 (1.47)

3.28 (1.60)

3.38 (1.67)

3.32 (1.73)

0.979

Financial responsibilities-interest payments on debt

2.81 (1.61)

2.50 (1.44)

2.83 (1.65)

3.12 (1.61)

2.74 (1.82)

0.531

Clinical-related stress

Concern about manual dexterity and clinical skills

1.68 (1.39)

2.44 (1.26)

1.40 (1.31)

1.67 (1.49)

1.05 (1.10)

0.003*

Transition from pre-clinical to clinical studies

1.17 (1.44)

2.68 (1.17)

1.89 (1.66)

3.00 (1.41)

1.90 (1.25)

0.017*

Completing clinical requirements

2.84 (1.48)

2.93 (1.33)

2.90 (1.33)

3.19 (1.62)

2.21 (1.44)

0.149

Clinical grading

2.36 (1.35)

3.00 (1.36)

2.05 (1.36)

2.37 (1.33)

2.20 (1.32)

0.236

Differences in opinions of clinical faculty and staff regarding clinical decision-making and treatment

2.88 (1.39)

3.05 (1.60)

2.75 (1.29)

3.19 (1.36)

2.42 (1.26)

0.237

Supply of patients

2.86 (1.47)

2.14 (1.21)

2.84 (1.38)

3.33 (1.47)

2.50 (1.54)

0.159

Patient communication and management

2.27 (1.47)

2.00 (1.15)

2.45 (1.54)

2.33 (1.44)

2.15 (1.63)

0.899

Confidence in own clinical decision-making

1.77 (1.13)

2.57 (0.94)

1.45 (0.99)

1.81 (1.21)

1.45 (1.05)

0.009*

Adequacy of clinical supervision

2.04 (1.38)

1.92 (1.31)

1.60 (0.99)

2.41 (1.50)

2.05 (1.54)

0.415

Patients attending scheduled appointments

2.57 (1.61)

2.00 (1.15)

2.60 (1.82)

2.89 (1.62)

2.30 (1.52)

0.557

Occupational/health hazards

1.41 (1.37)

1.27 (1.03)

1.15 (1.35)

1.81 (1.52)

1.25 (1.37)

0.292

Academic-related stress

Conducive teaching environment

2.31 (1.37)

1.88 (1.48)

2.79 (1.27)

2.44 (1.28)

2.21 (1.36)

0.100

Criticism of academic and/or clinical work

2.78 (1.38)

3.04 (1.46)

3.15 (1.35)

2.74 (1.40)

2.00 (1.00)

0.064

Approachability of faculty/staff

2.16 (1.45)

1.76 (1.45)

2.85 (1.39)

2.15 (1.35)

2.00 (1.53)

0.068

Communication with faculty/staff

2.27 (1.41)

1.76 (1.42)

2.95 (1.22)

2.41 (1.47)

2.05 (1.27)

0.023*

Rules/regulations of college

2.62 (1.61)

2.32 (1.75)

2.85 (1.56)

2.89 (1.60)

2.37 (1.50)

0.481

Expectation versus reality of dental school

3.29 (1.50)

3.40 (1.38)

3.25 (1.71)

3.56 (1.34)

2.79 (1.62)

0.453

Amount of course work

3.28 (1.30)

3.40 (0.82)

3.20 (1.24)

3.59 (1.39)

2.80 (1.64)

0.306

Difficulty of course work

2.67 (1.33)

3.08 (0.95)

2.90 (1.52)

2.56 (1.28)

2.10 (1.45)

0.088

Time available for learning

3.32 (1.31)

3.48 (1.05)

3.55 (1.28)

3.56 (1.28)

2.55 (1.47)

0.051*

Fear of not being able to catch up if falling behind in course work

3.03 (1.44)

3.28 (1.14)

3.40 (1.43)

3.26 (1.48)

2.00 (1.37)

0.008*

Fear of failing a course or year

3.68 (1.50)

4.36 (1.07)

4.15 (1.09)

3.78 (1.22)

2.16 (1.71)

< 0.001*

Competition for grades

1.96 (1.58)

2.36 (1.75)

2.11 (1.52)

1.93 (1.41)

1.35 (1.56)

0.170

Uncertainty about future dental career

2.01 (1.48)

2.40 (1.58)

2.05 (1.61)

1.74 (1.16)

1.84 (1.61)

0.469

Examinations

3.05 (1.39)

3.00 (0.98)

3.00 (1.59)

3.56 (1.40)

2.50 (1.47)

0.107

Lack of input into dental college decision-making

2.48 (1.61)

1.72 (1.49)

3.15 (1.56)

2.68 (1.57)

2.50 (1.57)

0.026*

Clinical time allotted in curriculum

2.24 (1.32)

2.41 (1.28)

2.40 (1.09)

2.41 (1.55)

1.70 (1.17)

0.176

The language of teaching

1.03 (1.12)

1.21 (1.21)

1.06 (1.16)

0.96 (1.10)

0.89 (1.05)

0.842

Knowledge transfer of information, methods and materials

1.63 (1.21)

1.54 (1.18)

1.80 (1.20)

1.69 (1.32)

1.50 (1.19)

0.867

The amount of material

2.60 (1.41)

2.88 (1.13)

2.45 (1.15)

2.89 (1.60)

2.00 (1.59)

0.108

The difficulty of material

1.97 (1.20)

2.20 (0.82)

2.05 (1.05)

2.04 (1.48)

1.50 (1.28)

0.152

Reference and information resources

1.33 (1.17)

1.14 (0.89)

1.32 (1.06)

1.48 (1.42)

1.35 (1.23)

0.934

  1. * Statistically significant at p < 0.05
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BMC Research Notes

ISSN: 1756-0500

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