Perceived Stress and Correlates among Women in an Urban Northwestern Region of Nigeria: An Opportunity Cross- Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Stress is the perceived or actual threat to a person’s body that can result in a state of imbalance. Perceived stress is a psychological state that influences a person’s cognitive ability and is associated with an increased risk of illnesses. This study, therefore, aimed to determine the perceived stress level and associated factors among women in Kaduna metropolis to create awareness, and ultimately curtail the menace of stress-related disorders. Methods: This was an opportunity cross-sectional study conducted among women during a regional conference in Kaduna metropolis, Northwestern Nigeria. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to obtain information about the women’s sociodemographic characteristics, and their perceived sources of stress, and Cohen’s PSS-10 was employed to assess their level of perceived stress. A chi-square test using ANOVA was done to determine any significant relationship between the participants’ sociodemographic characteristics and their perceived stress levels. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 346 women aged between 18 and 65 years with a mean age and standard deviation of 41.98 + 10.92 years participated in the study. Most (83.9%) of the participants were married and 45.9% of them had attained a tertiary level of education. The reported sources of stress had the workplace with the highest response at 27.2%, with the home at 26.4%, and health at 11.9%. The overall prevalence of perceived stress among them was 91.0% of which 9.0% had no/low level, 75.4% reported a moderate level, and 15.6% had a high level of perceived stress. The sociodemographic factors that were significantly associated with perceived stress among the respondents included their ethnic group (p = 0.038), educational level (p = 0.011), occupation (p < 0.001), and husband’s occupation (p = 0.042). Conclusion: This study has highlighted the fact that women are under a lot of stress which may be detrimental to their well-being. It revealed an alarming mental health morbidity among women needing prompt attention as this may result in psychological, physical, and behavioral problems. Therefore, there is a need to modify work policies aimed at reducing stress in workplaces. Women should be taught healthy coping mechanisms to relieve all forms of stress.