A survey of the genesis of stress and its effect on the academic performance of midwifery students in a college in Ghana

Objective: This study assesses the genesis of stress among midwifery students in Ghana and its impact on their academic performance. Design: A contextual cross-sectional design was used, and data were drawn from a 17-modified-item response from the College Undergraduate Stress Scale (CUSS), a rating of students’ academic performance and stress management techniques. Setting: The study took place at the Saint Michael's Midwifery Training School located at Pramso, within the Bosomtwe District, Ashanti Region, Ghana. Measurements: The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, χ ² test and ordinal logistic regression models. Findings: Result indicates that academic stressors (schoolwork and less vacation), interpersonal stressors (extracurricular groups, family obligations), intrapersonal stressor (bills/overspending) and environmental stressor (mistakes with expecting mothers) are direct stressors among midwifery students. The study discovered a statistically significant difference in stress management techniques among the study participants (p < 0.05). The multivariate analysis found that respondents’ reactions when stressed had a significant effect on their academic performance. However, after adjusting for the stressors, having less vacation had significant effect on respondents’ academic performance. Meanwhile, the interaction term significantly strengthens for respondents who had sufficient resting time during vacation. Conclusions: Considering the extensive and intense nature of midwifery training per the prescribed curriculum, there is the need for orientation of students on the effect of stress on their academic performance and effective coping mechanisms. Implications for practice: Regulation and planning of midwifery curricula in the future should incorporate adequate vacation periods to facilitate synthesis of knowledge among students.