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Friday, 27 April 2012

Findings that university students are three times more stressed than other people generally have prompted Health Promotion students at the University of Western Australia to develop a relaxation zone and encourage staff and students to attend.

As part of UWA's annual Health Day, Health Promotion students will organise social activities, promote de-stress techniques and hand out bags filled with healthy information.

The Health Promotion class researched the stress levels of 200 Crawley campus undergraduates and found that despite being stressed, UWA students are not using available services.

"The typical university student must find a balance between part-time work, family commitments, social functions, work experience placements and, of course, their university studies," Health Promotion student Sophie said. "Many undergraduates struggle to find this balance and place themselves at an increased risk of developing unhealthy lifestyle behaviours and mental illness."

Student research found that previous Health Promotion strategies had helped participants understand the relationship between poor sleep, excessive caffeine and stress levels.

"Equipping students with skills to manage their time successfully needs attention," Sophie said.

"We aim to develop these skills while ensuring our peers understand that stress can affect anyone. We want them to feel free to ask for help.

"We'll provide a space where they can come to unwind and develop their organisational skills."

UWA Health Day is Tuesday May 8th, 12noon-2pm on the Oak Lawn.

Media references

Sophie Greer (Health Promotion Student)  (+61 4) 23 776 742
Jessica Marmoy (Health Promotion Student)  (+61 4) 02 992 278
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783

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