EXAMINATION ANXIETY AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH GENDER AMONG UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL AND DENTAL STUDENTS: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY AT A PUBLIC SECTOR UNIVERSITY IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52764/jms.26.34.2.8Keywords:
Test Anxiety, Dental Students, medical studentsAbstract
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To evaluate the factors contributing to examination anxiety among undergraduate medical and dental students at Sindh Medical College (SMC) and Sindh Institute of Oral and Health Sciences (SIOHS), Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), and to determine their association with gender.
Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at SMC and SIOHS, JSMU, over a period of 3 months, after approval from the Institutional Review Board (reference no. JSMU/IRB/2025/1070). Data were collected using a modified, structured, pretested, and validated questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS 27. The overall response rate was 90.7%. Descriptive analysis was used for categorical variables. A chi-square test was used to evaluate the association between factors contributing to examination anxiety and gender. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: A total of 322 participants responded, of whom 207 were female and 115 were male. Factors associated with gender included sufficient time for exam preparation (p=0.022), staying up overnight before the exam (p=0.006), dietary habits during exams (p=0.041), difficulty understanding medical/dental terminology (p=0.008), insufficient time for revision (p=0.001), limited library resources (p=0.046), and difficulty understanding lectures in English (p=0.03).
Conclusion: Examination anxiety among medical and dental students is influenced by many factors. Addressing these factors through supportive strategies and targeted interventions may improve student well-being, performance, and academic experience.
Keywords: Test Anxiety, Medical Students, Dental Students
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Copyright (c) 2026 Hina Shah, Ifrah Urooj, Izma Arif Muqri, Aqsa Mubasher, Khansa Kanwal, Dua Ayoub
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