Gender differences in stress levels among Southeast Asian American college students

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to identify sources of stress and examine stress levels by gender among students of Southeast Asian descent. Participants: Six hundred and five Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Other Southeast students from 12 community colleges across the United States. Methods: Students completed the Community College Success Measure administered between 2015 and 2018. Results: More than 50% of male students in the study have experienced food and housing insecurities, transportation issues, and legal concerns. Results from the independent samples t tests indicated that female students reported more stress associated with health and transportation issues in comparison to male students. Conclusions: College health professionals should focus on targeted outreach efforts toward Southeast Asian students and need to consider gender differences in the delivery of psychoeducational groups related to stress reduction and management for this student population.