Stress levels, health seeking behaviours and academic performance among first year law students at Makerere University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between stress levels, health seeking behaviours and academic performance. The study was guided by the following objectives; to establish the relationship between stress levels and health seeking behaviours, to examine the relationship between stress levels and academic performance and to determine the relationship between health seeking behaviours and academic performance. The study used a sample of 132 respondents, 83 males and 49 females who were adopted using random and convenient sampling techniques, data was collected using self-administered questionnaires and later analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Scientists) version 25.0 The results showed that stress levels and health seeking behaviours had a negative significant relationship (r = -0.310, p<0.01). The results also showed that stress levels and academic performance had a negative significant relationship (r = -0.185, p<0.01). Additionally, the results also showed health seeking behaviours and academic performance had a negative significant relationship (r = -0.099, p<0.01). This implies that, these findings provided a foundation for interventions to be created in order to facilitate stress management, promote health seeking behaviours in order to improve students’ overall academic performance and well-being. It can therefore be recommended that; there is need for the university management to ensure that students engage in adequate sports and other activities in order to cope and manage stress levels and improve academic performance and there is also need for other institutions of higher learning to be made aware and take action against the dangers that high stress levels pose to students and the impact that this has on their health seeking behaviours and academic performance.