LAUSR

PurposeTo examine the association between life stress, uncertainty stress and self-reported illness among Chinese college students.MethodsParticipants were 11,942 students who were identified through a multistage survey sampling process that included 50 universities. Stress and illness status were obtained by self-report. Both unadjusted and adjusted methods were considered in the analyses.ResultsSelf-reported short- and long-term illness prevalences were 27.4% (95% CI: 23.9%–30.8%) and 20.0% (95% CI: 17.0%–23.1%), respectively. The logistic regression model found that while uncertainty stress was associated with both categories of illness, life stress was not related to either category of illness.ConclusionThese findings underscore the importance of controlling uncertainty stress and can be used to inform future policies and reinforce the need for uncertainty stress management in China.