Impact of Maternal Employment Status on Stress Levels of University Students: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study in Karachi
Keywords:
maternal employment, student stress, perceived stress scale, university studentsAbstract
Objective:
This study aimed to compare stress levels among university students with employed versus unemployed mothers, and to determine whether maternal employment status influences perceived stress.
Methods:
A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 undergraduate students in Karachi. Fifty participants had employed mothers and fifty had unemployed mothers. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was administered. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic data, and independent t-tests compared mean stress scores between groups. A significance level of p<0.05 was adopted.
Result:
The mean stress score of students with employed mothers was slightly higher than that of students with unemployed mothers. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Female students demonstrated higher mean stress scores than males across both groups. Stress was more pronounced among students aged 20–25 years.
Conclusion:
The study found no significant difference in stress levels between students of employed and unemployed mothers, although female students reported higher stress overall. These findings suggest that maternal employment status does not directly determine student stress levels, but gender and age may play a role. Future interventions should focus on stress management support tailored to student demographics.
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