Anxiety disorders among pre-clinical students during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Copperbelt province of Zambia

Abstract

Background: Anxiety is one of the commonest mental health challenges facing medical students. Levels of anxiety have not been estimated among medical students in Zambia.
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of anxiety disorders and its associated factors among pre-clinical students during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Copperbelt province of Zambia.
Materials and Methods: A sample size of 398 students was sampled using a 1 in 2 systematic random sampling technique. The Zung's Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) was used to determine levels of anxiety. Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) and their 95% Confidence Interval (CI) are reported.
Results: Altogether, 18.9% of the students rated their health poor-fair. Students who rated their health good/excellent were 51% (AOR=0.49; 95% CI [0.36, 0.66]) less likely to report anxiety disorders compared to students who reported their health as poor/fair. Students who indicated that they had chronic lung disease were 49% (AOR=1.49; 95% CI [1.10, 2.02]) more likely to report anxiety disorders compared to students who did not report chronic lung disease.
Conclusion: Arelatively high level of anxiety disorders was observed among pre-clinical students. Chronic lung diseases and self-rated health should be considered in designing intervention to curtail anxiety in the pre-clinical student population.