Table 1_Dental environmental stressors and their association with perceived stress among undergraduate dental students at a Palestinian University: a cross-sectional study using DES and PSS-10.docx

The mean PSS-10 score was 24.50 ± 5.88, with 61.4% of students reporting moderate stress and 35.4% reporting high stress. The DES total item mean was 1.53 ± 0.50, with 66.3% reporting moderate dental environmental stress. Internal consistency was good for PSS-10 (Cronbach's alpha = 0.833) and excellent for the modified DES scale (Cronbach's alpha = 0.928).

The DES score was moderately correlated with the PSS-10 score (rho = 0.554, p < 0.001). In multiple linear regression, DES score showed the strongest independent association with PSS-10 score (B = 5.91, 95% CI: 5.09–6.72, p < 0.001). Female sex and year of study were also significantly associated with PSS-10 score.</p>Conclusion<p>Perceived stress was common among dental students, with dental environmental stressors strongly associated with overall perceived stress.

Workload, self-efficacy, female sex, and academic stage should be considered when designing student support and stress-reduction interventions.</p>