General Disease Trends Among Students at University of Haripur, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Globally, university students face significant stress due to academic demands, extracurricular responsibilities, and daily challenges. This psychological strain often manifests as mild to moderate physical symptoms. The primary objective of this study was to examine the types and frequency of health complaints reported by students.

Methodology: The study was conducted at a university campus with over 4,000 enrolled students. Data were collected over a ten-month period, during which 1,061 students sought medical attention at the university clinic. Data analysis was performed using R software.

Results: The most reported health issues were generalized body aches (42.5%), upper respiratory tract infections (16.4%), abdominal pain or diarrhoea (14.7%), fever (12.4%), and flu-like symptoms (9.3%). A gender-based breakdown showed a higher incidence among male students (59.4%) compared to females (40.6%). Semester-wise distribution revealed the second semester as the most affected (24.6%). Department-wise analysis indicated that students from Information Technology (21%) reported the highest number of health complaints, followed by Medical Laboratory Technology (16.1%) and Microbiology (10.3%). Time series analysis identified a peak in reported cases between January and April 2019.

Conclusion: The findings highlight a substantial burden of physical health complaints among university students, linked to academic stress. The results underscore the need for targeted health communication and wellness strategies to support students’ physical and mental well-being during their academic tenure.