Highly stressful global event affecting health sciences students: A longitudinal qualitative study

Stressful events of great magnitude have produced significant changes in society and in health education. University students have faced considerable challenges both during and after such events, which have affected their lifestyles, mental health, the development of academic activities, and changes in education systems due to the adoption of new teaching models and the use of online technology.

To explore the perspectives and experiences of university health sciences students regarding their lifestyles and academic stress both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, a highly stressful event. This study also aimed to establish relationships among the criteria involved.

Qualitative analytical-interpretative research using the hermeneutic method was conducted, and the coded numerically matched responses were complementarily analyzed with inferential statistics. The sample consisted of 1,735 students enrolled in the Nursing, Physiotherapy, Clinical Laboratory, Medicine, Dentistry, and Clinical Psychology programs of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the National University of Chimborazo in Ecuador. Data were collected considering two time points: during mandatory social isolation (T1 = virtual modality) and upon the return to face-to-face activities (T2 = face-to-face modality).

After analyzing the texts produced by the students, four main themes were identified: (1) lifestyle modifications; (2) the alteration of academic activities; (3) a preference for the vocational training modality; and (4) academic stress. Significant differences were identified between male and female students. As for academic programs with numerically matched codes 33 codes were identified at T1 and 35 at T2.

COVID-19, a stressful event of great magnitude impacted the lifestyles of health sciences students and caused them academic stress. Academic program and gender were statistically significant in some of the changes. During isolation and in the return to face-to-face learning, the students modified their lifestyles and experienced academic overload.