The Impact of Perceived Physical Health on the Stress Management of CAS-UPM Students amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

University life is a crucial phase in a young person’s life. The lifestyles developed during this time are indicative of the way they perceive and uphold both their physical and mental health, made more complicated in the middle of the current COVID-19 pandemic. This research aimed to determine physical health-related habits of CAS-UPM students and the coping mechanisms they utilized during times of stress. In addition to exploring an association between the two aforementioned factors, it also sought to investigate if the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on students moderated their relationship. For this cross-sectional quantitative study, an online questionnaire was administered to the undergraduate student population of the CAS-UPM. Statistical analysis was conducted to analyze the results from the participants. The research found that CAS-UPM students believed that they were mostly responsible for their physical health and mostly utilized the coping mechanisms of self-distraction, acceptance, and planning. The research also concluded that there are significant relationships between behaviors of perceived physical health of CAS-UPM students with their exercised stress management techniques of small effect. A small moderating effect of stress from the COVID-19 pandemic on the relationship of stress management and perceived physical health was also found in the research. The research contributed to the growing body of work regarding students’ physical and mental health. It was able to provide recommendations on how to use the data to provide helpful services that allow for the formulation of healthier behaviors benefiting students’ wellness.