Abstract
Purpose: College students are assumed to be generally healthy, and as a result, elevated blood pressure is often missed. In a recent study, 46% of college students had elevated blood pressure (Ferguson-Stegall et al., 2022). Higher-than-expected rates of hypertension may be due to multiple situations and behaviors that increase student risk (Tran, et al, 2022), such as higher levels of stress (Istasy et al., 2021; Mofattech, 2020). Stressors can be related to educational experiences, such as not doing well in an important course or poor sleep habits, as well as other common stress producing events in life such as loss of a parent or a serious argument with a close friend. Stress can lead to high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression (Mofattech, 2020). The purpose of this study was to assess the associations between stress levels and hypertension in undergraduate college students.
Methods: Following IRB approval, undergraduate students at a faith-based Midwestern university were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional study. Students were recruited via course announcements, electronic flyers, and word-of-mouth across campus. Demographic data, blood pressures (BP), risk factors, and perceived stress were assessed. The Student Stress Scale (Baylor University, n.d.) measures stressors associated with college; it is an adaptation of the Life Events Scale developed originally by Holmes and Rahe (1967). Scores range from 0 to 300 with scores < 150 representing very little stress and scores 300+ indicating major stress and a high health risk within 2 years. Undergraduate nursing students on a student-faculty collaborative team collected all data following training on the protocol. BP assessments were standardized to ensure reliability and validity. All participants received education on hypertension, risk factors, and lifestyle measures to control stress and BP.
Results: 103 students participated. 52% had an elevated systolic BP, and 30% had an elevated diastolic BP. There was no association between year in school and stress level (X2 = 315.83, p = .102). Male students had significantly higher systolic (X2 = 101.343, p = .005) and diastolic BP (X2 = 144.44, p < .001). 41% of students reported stress above expected levels, with 10% reporting major stress. Stress and systolic BP were not correlated (r = .121, p = .180) nor were stress and diastolic BP (r = .075, p = .408). As expected, the highest stress scores were related to experiencing more stressful events and events with the highest scores on the stress scale (r = .937, p < .001).
Discussion: Hypertension is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. It is essential that BP screening happen early and regularly in college students. While stressors were not significantly related to BP levels, 41% of students reported levels of stress that should be of concern. College should help students prepare to meet life’s uncertainties. One of those uncertainties may be cardiovascular disease because of unknown hypertension developed during college. Therefore, BP assessment in college students must be followed by interventions aimed at reducing hypertension, stress, and risk factors related to hypertension.
Notes
Reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Zeta Epsilon
Lead Author Affiliation
Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana, USA
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Cross-Sectional
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Blood Pressure, College Students, Disease Prevalence, Physiological Stress
Recommended Citation
Kessler, Theresa A., "Stress Levels and Prevalence of Elevated Blood Pressure in College Students" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 4.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2024/presentations_2024/4
Conference Name
35th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Singapore
Conference Year
2024
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-11-03
Stress Levels and Prevalence of Elevated Blood Pressure in College Students
Singapore
Purpose: College students are assumed to be generally healthy, and as a result, elevated blood pressure is often missed. In a recent study, 46% of college students had elevated blood pressure (Ferguson-Stegall et al., 2022). Higher-than-expected rates of hypertension may be due to multiple situations and behaviors that increase student risk (Tran, et al, 2022), such as higher levels of stress (Istasy et al., 2021; Mofattech, 2020). Stressors can be related to educational experiences, such as not doing well in an important course or poor sleep habits, as well as other common stress producing events in life such as loss of a parent or a serious argument with a close friend. Stress can lead to high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression (Mofattech, 2020). The purpose of this study was to assess the associations between stress levels and hypertension in undergraduate college students.
Methods: Following IRB approval, undergraduate students at a faith-based Midwestern university were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional study. Students were recruited via course announcements, electronic flyers, and word-of-mouth across campus. Demographic data, blood pressures (BP), risk factors, and perceived stress were assessed. The Student Stress Scale (Baylor University, n.d.) measures stressors associated with college; it is an adaptation of the Life Events Scale developed originally by Holmes and Rahe (1967). Scores range from 0 to 300 with scores < 150 representing very little stress and scores 300+ indicating major stress and a high health risk within 2 years. Undergraduate nursing students on a student-faculty collaborative team collected all data following training on the protocol. BP assessments were standardized to ensure reliability and validity. All participants received education on hypertension, risk factors, and lifestyle measures to control stress and BP.
Results: 103 students participated. 52% had an elevated systolic BP, and 30% had an elevated diastolic BP. There was no association between year in school and stress level (X2 = 315.83, p = .102). Male students had significantly higher systolic (X2 = 101.343, p = .005) and diastolic BP (X2 = 144.44, p < .001). 41% of students reported stress above expected levels, with 10% reporting major stress. Stress and systolic BP were not correlated (r = .121, p = .180) nor were stress and diastolic BP (r = .075, p = .408). As expected, the highest stress scores were related to experiencing more stressful events and events with the highest scores on the stress scale (r = .937, p < .001).
Discussion: Hypertension is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. It is essential that BP screening happen early and regularly in college students. While stressors were not significantly related to BP levels, 41% of students reported levels of stress that should be of concern. College should help students prepare to meet life’s uncertainties. One of those uncertainties may be cardiovascular disease because of unknown hypertension developed during college. Therefore, BP assessment in college students must be followed by interventions aimed at reducing hypertension, stress, and risk factors related to hypertension.
Description
Elevated blood pressure in college students is often missed and can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease. This presentation addresses the link between risk factors such as stress and the development of hypertension in undergraduate college students.