Objectives: To investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and perceived stress (PS) in first year dental students in University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Carol Davila, in Bucharest.
Methods: A cross sectional survey was carried out, in which all first year dental students were invited to complete questionnaires on EI, satisfaction with career choice, relationships with peers and tutors, and PS. Chi-square analysis was carried out to test for association between variables, and logistic regression performed to identify significant predictors of PS. The level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Of 178 questionnaires were returned (89%), 140 were usable, representing a 70% response rate. PS was associated with sex, EI, relationship with tutors and satisfaction with career choice. Logistic regression analysis showed all four variables were independently predictive of PS; female students were over 5 times more likely to report stress compared to male students (OR=5.43, 95% CI=2.16, 13.64), low EI scorers were nearly 3 times more likely to report stress compared to high EI scorers (OR=2.65, 95% CI=1.20, 5.85), those who felt intimidated by tutors/teachers were over 3 times more likely to report stress compared to those who did not feel intimidated by tutors/teachers (OR=3.44, 95% CI=1.56, 7.56), and those not satisfied with their decision to study dentistry were nearly five times more likely to report stress compared to those who were satisfied (OR=4.63, 95% CI=1.66, 12.90).
Conclusions: In this sample of Bucharest dental undergraduates PS, EI and relationship with tutors were significantly correlated. The relationship between PS and low EI was confirmed. Of special concern is the relationship with tutors, which requires further investigation.