Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of stress and identify factors associated with stress among nursing students at the University of Health Sciences, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 277 second-, third-, and fourth-year nursing students at the University of Health Sciences. Data were collected in September 2025 using a self-administered questionnaire covering personal characteristics, academic characteristics, late-night habits, and sleep difficulties. Stress was assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), academic pressure using the Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents (ESSA), and perceived social support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Data were analyzed using Stata version 17.0. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize study characteristics. Associations between stress and related factors were assessed using the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: Among the 277 students, 104 (37.5%) experienced stress, including mild, moderate, severe, and extremely severe stress in 11.2%, 14.8%, 9.7%, and 1.8% of students, respectively. Most students reported a low level of academic pressure (92.8%) and moderate-to-high perceived social support (87.4%). Late-night habits were reported by 93.5% of students, while 40.4% reported sleep difficulties. Sleep difficulties were significantly associated with stress (p = 0.001). Academic pressure was also significantly associated with stress (p = 0.003). No statistically significant associations were found between stress and academic year, academic performance, gender, living arrangements, late-night habits, or perceived social support (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Stress is a notable concern among nursing students, with 37.5% experiencing stress. Sleep difficulties and academic pressure were significantly associated with stress in this study. These findings highlight the need to strengthen psychological support, academic pressure management, and sleep-quality improvement interventions to promote the mental health and academic well-being of nursing students.