Vitamin D and reduced academic stress of health students

Abstract

Stress conditions can reduce academic ability, influencing student grade point averages and encouraging negative behaviors. The objectives of this study was to discern the influence of vitamin D in the reduction of academic stress of health students. The study used a randomized controlled trial. The population was midwifery students who lived in the dormitory of Health Polytechnic of Ministry of Health, Yogyakarta, in 2017. Samples were 77 midwifery students who did not suffer from any chronic disease, nor experience academic stress. They all agreed to become study subjects. Of 39 respondents in a treatment group were administered 1 tablet of 400 mg vitamin D supplement daily, for 30 days. The control group was given placebo. Academic stress was assessed with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 42 (DASS 42). Data were analyzed by using linear regression. The results showed that daily vitamin D supplement reduced academic stress (p-value < 0.05). One dose of 400 IU vitamin D daily for 30 days could reduce academic stress by 11.28 points. To reduce academic stress, students may consume vitamin D and expose their skin to sun rays with ultraviolet.