Causes of stress and its impact on women’s mental and physical health
1
Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University, Zhytomyr, Ukraine, Ukraine
2
Poltava State Medical University, Poltava, Ukraine, Ukraine
3
Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University, Drohobych, Ukraine, Ukraine
4
Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Ukraine
5
State Tax University, Irpin, Ukraine, Ukraine
6
Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Poltava, Ukraine, Ukraine
Submission date: 2024-10-23
Final revision date: 2024-11-07
Acceptance date: 2024-12-09
Publication date: 2024-12-30
Corresponding author
Valentyna P. Trufanova
Poltava State Medical University, Poltava, Ukraine, Poltava State Medical University, Poltava, Ukraine, Ukraine
Poltava State Medical University, Poltava, Ukraine, Poltava State Medical University, Poltava, Ukraine, Ukraine
Wiadomości Lekarskie 2024;77(12):2493-2500
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Aim:
The aim is to investigate the causes of stress and its impact on women’s mental and physical health indicators.
Material and methods:
The research was conducted from 2022 to 2024 and involved 157 women from Zhytomyr oblast (Ukraine) of different ages, education, professions, and geographic residence. The research methods included analysis of literary sources, medical and sociological (survey), statistical method.
Results:
It has been established that during the war, the vast majority of women surveyed experienced very high and high levels of stress (45.2 % and 35.0 %, respectively). The main causes of stress for women include: “full-scale war” – 41.2 %, “financial difficulties” – 12.4 %, and “job loss” – 11.9 %. At the same time, only a fifth of the respondents (21.7 %) said they were able to overcome stress and neutralize the state of anxiety. It was found that stress in women led to insomnia (31.8 %), gastrointestinal disorders (40.1 %), exacerbation of chronic diseases (20.6 %), decreased immunity (8.4 %), and menstrual irregularities (7.2 %).
Conclusions:
It has been found that the war had a significant impact on women’s mental and physical health: the frequency of anxiety and depression, psychosomatic disorders, uncontrollable fear, and the desire to withdraw from people increased. Given this, public health professionals need to intensify awareness-raising activities in this area.
The aim is to investigate the causes of stress and its impact on women’s mental and physical health indicators.
Material and methods:
The research was conducted from 2022 to 2024 and involved 157 women from Zhytomyr oblast (Ukraine) of different ages, education, professions, and geographic residence. The research methods included analysis of literary sources, medical and sociological (survey), statistical method.
Results:
It has been established that during the war, the vast majority of women surveyed experienced very high and high levels of stress (45.2 % and 35.0 %, respectively). The main causes of stress for women include: “full-scale war” – 41.2 %, “financial difficulties” – 12.4 %, and “job loss” – 11.9 %. At the same time, only a fifth of the respondents (21.7 %) said they were able to overcome stress and neutralize the state of anxiety. It was found that stress in women led to insomnia (31.8 %), gastrointestinal disorders (40.1 %), exacerbation of chronic diseases (20.6 %), decreased immunity (8.4 %), and menstrual irregularities (7.2 %).
Conclusions:
It has been found that the war had a significant impact on women’s mental and physical health: the frequency of anxiety and depression, psychosomatic disorders, uncontrollable fear, and the desire to withdraw from people increased. Given this, public health professionals need to intensify awareness-raising activities in this area.
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