Assessment of stress levels among students in the biosciences department at felix houphouet-boigny university in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

Stress poses a real threat to human health and well-being. In academia, in particular, it manifests itself in different ways through the reactions and actions of those involved in the field, namely students and their performance. Our study is therefore aims to assess the prevalence of stress and these factors among bioscience students. Stress levels are measured and monitored according to several evolutionary axes. In terms of socio-demographic characteristics, the majority of students are aged between 18 and 24. There is an almost equal distribution between the sexes, and most of students live outside the university campus. The fairly average prevalence of stress indicates that most of students experience a moderate stress level, with a slightly higher rates among women and those living off campus. Stress levels appear to be relatively similar across different fields of study, although first-year undergraduate and first-year Master's students are slightly more represented in the medium stress categories. Regarding stress factor, the results show that the level of stress related to academic training is significantly higher among first-year undergraduates and that those living outside the university campus also experience increased stress. When it comes to perceptions of career prospects, a majority of students report high levels of stress, particularly among women. These findings enable the implementation of an anti-stress approach both on and off campus, contributing to individual fulfilment and improved performane in studies.