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Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2024

Open Access 01-12-2024 | Anxiety | Research

The relationship between COVID-19 stress and test anxiety in art students: the chain mediating roles of intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality

Authors: Ruiying Liu, Qing Qiu, Baojuan Ye

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2024

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Abstract

Background

The global spread of COVID-19 has brought immense physiological and psychological distress to students, such as test anxiety and poor sleep quality. This study aims to explore the relationship between COVID-19 stress and test anxiety and the mediating roles of intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality between them.

Methods

A study was conducted in China during the late stage of the pandemic. A total of 936 Chinese art students (age M = 18.51, SD = 2.11, 46.6% female) completed the Coronavirus Stress Measure (CSM), the 12-item Intolerance of Uncertainty (IUS-12), the Brief Version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (B-PSQI), and the Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI). A chain mediation model analysis was conducted to examine the mediating effects of intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality on the association with COVID-19 stress and test anxiety.

Results

COVID-19 stress was positively associated with test anxiety (β = 0.50, p < 0.001). The intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality partially and serially mediated the relationship between COVID-19 stress and test anxiety (β = 0.01, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.02).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that art students’ intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality partially and serially mediate the relation between COVID-19 stress and test anxiety. The results have significant implications for the intervention and prevention of test anxiety, providing additional evidence for the relationship between COVID-19 stress and test anxiety.
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Metadata
Title
The relationship between COVID-19 stress and test anxiety in art students: the chain mediating roles of intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality
Authors
Ruiying Liu
Qing Qiu
Baojuan Ye
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Keywords
Anxiety
COVID-19
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18684-7

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