Abstract
Background: Stress is body’s response to danger or perceived threat. M.B.B.S. students, particularly, the 1st year students are more prone to stress due to hectic schedule, academic pressure, cultural and environmental change, and a large number of uncertainties. These factors make them ideal population to study stress.

Aims and Objectives: The study was done to see if there is any relationship between the inventory to measure psychosocial stress (IMPS)-measured psychosocial stress score and gender, exercise, and body mass index (BMI) among the 1st year medical students.

Materials and Methods: The study included 50 female and 44 male students aged 18-22 years. A questionnaire along with the IMPS was provided to them. The questionnaire dealt with anthropometric data and performance of exercise in terms of number of days per week. The data analyses used Unpaired t-tests, and χ2-test was used to explore the linear relationship between stress score and BMI or exercise.

Results: The number of male and female students getting stress score <9 were 14 (53.8%) and 12(46.2%), respectively. Similarly, 17 (42.5%) male and 23 (57.5%) female students had score between 10 and 19. 13 (46.4%) male students and 15 (53.6%) female students had stress score more than 30. The number of students with higher stress score among those who do exercise is significantly lesser than those who do not do exercise. The number of students whose stress score is ≥20, 10-19, and ≤9 and have normal BMI are 27.9%, 44.3%, and 27.91%, respectively. The number of students whose stress score is ≥20, 10-19, and ≤9 and have BMI ≤18.5 are 33.3%, 44.4%, and 22.2%. While that of who have BMI ≥25 are 333.3%, 33.3%, and 33.3%. No significant relationship was observed between psychosocial stress score and BMI.

Conclusion: There is a significant association between IMPS-measured psychosocial stress score and exercise among the 1st year medical students. However, the study does not find any significant relationship between the psychosocial stress score and gender as well as BMI.

Key words: Psychosocial Stress; Inventory to Measure Psychosocial Stress; Body Mass Index; Exercise