Evaluation of the Sources of Stress in Dominican Dental Students: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background The dentistry practice has long been considered a highly stressful health-science profession. Stress in dental students has been addressed by a number of international studies, but it has never been studied specifically in students in the Dominican Republic. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the sources of stress in Dominican dental students so as to establish a link between said stressors, and school term and sex. Methods For measurement purposes, a survey (our modified Dental Environment Stress (DES) questionnaire) was conducted on 103 dental students pursuing clinical practica. We analyzed our data using a one-way ANOVA, t-test, factor analysis and VARIMAX. Results All dental students in their final six terms of school suffered stress, with the 12th term ranking highest. The sources of stress differed among students in varying terms. Exams, fear of failing, interaction with teaching staff, as well as responsibilities associated with patient care, obtained the most points. Women obtained greater scores in certain items when compared to the academic factor. Conclusions The various sources of stress act independently in dental students, with those with greater values being exams, fear of failing subjects, different assessment criteria among teaching staff, responsibilities associated with patient care, fear of failing a term and job prospects. Women demonstrated a more acute response to stress with regards to the academic factor, end of university studies and self-esteem.