e-Pedagogium 2013, 13(4):43-60 | DOI: 10.5507/epd.2013.049

Selected Personality Traits and Stress Management in Current University Students of Education, Physical Culture and Natural Science

Martin Sigmund, Jana Kvintová, Iva Dostálová
RNDr. Iva Dostálová, Ph.D., Martin Sigmund, Ph.D., Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacký University, Olomouc, Tř. Míru 115, 771 11 Olomouc, Czech Republic, E-mail: martin.sigmund@upol.cz, iva.dostalova@upol.cz, Phone: +420-585 636 157, +420-585 636 152
PhDr. Jana Kvintová, Ph.D., Department of Psychology and Pathopsychology, Faculty of Education, Palacký University, Olomouc, Žižkovo nám. 5, 771 40 Olomouc, Czech Republic, E-mail: janakvintova@seznam.cz, Phone: +420-585 635 20

Recently there has been a growing interest of the professional community in the issue of health in university students as they represent the national capital and future investment of every society. University students thus constitute a specific population group. The factors influencing students' health are strictly specific and are considered to be related to academic study. The main stressogenic factors include academic overload, constant pressure to be successful and competition among classmates. Generally, the population between twenty and thirty years of age represents a group with the lowest morbidity and mortality rate. However, some results of research studies aimed at risk factors influencing university population indicate that the health condition in university students is generally worse compared with non-student population of the same age. Similarly, there is a higher prevalence of psychological distress in university students in comparison with working non-student population of the same age. In the prevention of negative stress and its negative consequences an important role is played by adequate coping strategies that are integral part of stress management. This issue is addressed by the present study of current university students. Our research study involved a total of 522 students of Palacký University, Olomouc, namely from the Faculty of Education, Faculty of Physical Culture and the Faculty of Science. The study indicates some preferences in coping with stress situations in current university students based on gender differences and study specialization. The presented findings have practical applications in approaching the defined target group in the area of university educational and psychological counselling.

Keywords: coping, men, women, adultus, health, counselling

Published: August 1, 2013  Show citation

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Sigmund, M., Kvintová, J., & Dostálová, I. (2013). Selected Personality Traits and Stress Management in Current University Students of Education, Physical Culture and Natural Science. e-Pedagogium, 13(4), 43-60. doi: 10.5507/epd.2013.049
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