Assessment of Perceived Stress and Physical Activity amongst Undergraduate Medical Students in a Medical College of Kolkata, India: A Descriptive Facility Based Study

Introduction: Medical students are frequently exposed to significant academic and emotional stress, often leading to elevated stress levels. Physical activity (PA) is a recognised protective factor, yet its role in stress mitigation amongst medical students in metropolitan India is under researched. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of 160 students using the Perceived Stress Scale-10 and the International PA Questionnaire-Short Form was conducted. Sociodemographic information and PA levels were recorded, and the association between stress and PA was tested using Chi-square and correlation tests. Results: Moderate stress was reported by 68.8% of students, whereas 25% had low and 6.3% had high stress. 42.5% met health-enhancing PA criteria, 53.8% were minimally active and 3.8% inactive. A significant inverse relationship was observed between PA and perceived stress ( P = 0.01; Spearman’s ρ = −0.149, P = 0.030). Conclusion: The majority of students reported moderate-to-high stress, inversely associated with PA levels, emphasising the need for institutional strategies in the promotion of physical well-being as a means to mitigate stress amongst medical students.