THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIFE STRESS AND HEALTH INVENTORY SCORES IN A COLLEGIATE POPULATION :: essays research papers

ABSTRACTScientific literature is replete with studies examining the relationship in the midst of stressful life events and the occurrence of compromised immune function as suggested by the presence of various illnesses. Forty college students answered questionnaires regarding the presence of stressful life events and the presence or absence of recent illnesses. The relationship between these scores was examined. Life stress scores were signifi pecktly positively related to to scores indicating illnesses on a wellness inventory. As scores indicating the presence of stressful life experiences increased, scores suggesting the presence of illness also increased.CHAPTER IINTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATUREEach material physiological system has an individual established set point, or level of balance however, some fluctuations in these levels are tolerated. The balance of any system can be, and regularly is disturbed by internal and/or external events of the mechanical, physical, chemical, biological, and/or social types. When this balance is disrupted, and involuntary mobilizations of biological processes are not able to re-establish it, an solicitude reaction is activated (Schedlowski and Tewes, 1999). This reaction is referred to as a stress response, and the activating agent is the stressor (Selye, 1936).Recently, studies of stress have shifted from demonstrating relationships between psychological factors and somatic outcomes, to investigations of the mediational pathways involved in these associations. For example, (Cohen and Williamson, 1991) have built on the work of Lazarus model by suggesting that once an environmental event is encountered, it is appraised, and an affective response is made. After this response is made, a rain shower of behavioral and physiological processes is activated. Behavioral factors such as increased alcohol use, reduced exercise, changes in sleep quantity/quality, and changes in diet, have shown to be related to stress. In turn, stress-related changes are associated with many hormonal fluctuations known to influence susceptibility to disease (Schedlowski and Tewes, 1999).There is overwhelming evidence that daily stress may be harmful to the overall health of humans (Cohen, Tyrrell, and Smith, 1991 Glaser, Rice, and Sheridan, 1987 and Schleifer, and Keller, 1991). The mechanism by which stress influences health outcomes is thought to involve the immune system. RationaleAs reviewed, research has examined the interaction between stressful life events and the overall health of humans. This investigation will examine this relationship in a collegiate population, using two playpen and paper surveys. HypothesisScores on the College Life Stress inventorying (CLSI) (Renner and Mackin, 1998)will be positively related to scores on the Health Inventory (HI) (Holmes and Rahe, 1967).