Changes in perceived stress and food or housing insecurity associated with COVID-19 in doctor of pharmacy students: A pre- and current- COVID-19 survey Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy Vista Khosraviani, Eric J. Ip, Sandy A. Li, Armon Khosraviani, Janessa Cariaga, Joshua Caballero, Kajua Lor, Lindsay Acree, Chinwe Echibe, Mitchell J. Barnett, Changes in perceived stress and food or housing insecurity associated with COVID-19 in doctor of pharmacy students: A pre- and current- COVID-19 survey, Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, 2023, 100391, ISSN 2667-2766, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100391. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266727
Date
12/05/2023Abstract
Abstract: Background
The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted everyday life for most individuals, including students. Unique COVID-19 stressors among students may include virtual learning, mental stress, and being socially distanced from classmates. Studies examining the impact of COVID-19 on stress and lifestyle changes among pharmacy students are limited.
Objective
The primary purpose of this study was to compare stress and food or housing insecurity changes associated with COVID-19 in U.S. Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students pre-COVID vs. during-COVID.
Methods
A 23-item survey was administered via Qualtrics® to multiple PharmD programs across the U.S. in pre-COVID-19 (spring 2019) and during-COVID-19 (spring 2021). Participants were recruited via e-mail. The survey included questions related to demographics, lifestyle (sleep, exercise, work hours, extracurricular activities), and food and housing insecurities. The survey also included a validated instrument to measure stress (Cohen-Perceived Stress Scale). Results from 2021 were compared to a similar national survey serendipitously administered prior to COVID-19 in Spring 2019.
Results
Pre- and COVID-19 analytical cohorts included 278 and 138 participants, respectively. While pre-COVID-19 students were slightly older (29.9 ± 4.7 vs. 27.7 ± 4.2, p ≤0.001), relative to COVID-19 students, other demographic factors were similar. No significant difference was observed in reported stress levels (PSS = 20.0 ± 6.3 vs. 19.7 ± 6.2, p = 0.610) between time periods. Significant differences in food (53.2% vs. 51.4%, p = 0.731) and housing (45.0% vs. 47.1%, p = 0.680) insecurity were also not seen.
Conclusions
These findings highlight that PharmD students' perceived stress and food and housing insecurities due to COVID-19 may have been minimal. Additional studies on pharmacy students should be conducted to validate these results. These results may help inform policymakers and stakeholders during the early stages of any future pandemics.
Keywords: COVID-19; Pharmacy students; Stress; Food insecurity; Housing insecurity
Author List
Vista Khosraviani, Eric J. Ip, Sandy A. Li, Armon Khosraviani, Janessa Cariaga, Joshua Caballero, Kajua Lor, Lindsay Acree, Chinwe Echibe, Mitchell J. BarnettAuthor
Kajua B. Lor PharmD Chair, Professor in the School of Pharmacy Operations department at Medical College of WisconsinView Online
