Gender differences in psychophysiological responses to stress and academic performance: The role of sleep, anxiety, and Heart Rate Variability

Background: The prevalence of stress among university students has become a significant public health concern, with gender differences in psychophysiological responses remaining understudied. This study examined how gender influences stress-related factors and their association with academic perform...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Benítez Agudelo, Juan Camilo, Restrepo, Dayana, Clemente Suárez, Vicente Javier
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad Europea (UEM)
Repositorio:ABACUS. Repositorio de Producción Científica
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:abacus.universidadeuropea.com:11268/14694
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11268/14694
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Ciencias médicas
Psicofisiología
Efectos fisiológicos
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
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spelling Gender differences in psychophysiological responses to stress and academic performance: The role of sleep, anxiety, and Heart Rate VariabilityBenítez Agudelo, Juan CamiloRestrepo, DayanaClemente Suárez, Vicente JavierCiencias médicasPsicofisiologíaEfectos fisiológicosGoal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all agesBackground: The prevalence of stress among university students has become a significant public health concern, with gender differences in psychophysiological responses remaining understudied. This study examined how gender influences stress-related factors and their association with academic performance. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 601 Colombian university students (74.7 % women, aged 15–47). Participants completed online questionnaires assessing sleep habits, personality traits (Big Five Inventory), anxiety (STAI), psychological inflexibility (AAQ-II), solitude (UCLA), perceived stress (PSS-4), and depression (Zung Scale). Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured via ECG to evaluate autonomic function. Academic performance was quantified using GPAs (1–5 scale). Independent t-tests and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results: Women exhibited significantly higher levels of neuroticism (p = 0.01), anxiety (p = 0.01), psychological inflexibility (p = 0.01), and perceived stress (p = 0.01) compared to their male counterparts. Regression analyses revealed gender-specific patterns: in women, academic success was predicted by longer sleep duration (B = 0.08, p = 0.01), moderate anxiety levels (B = 0.03, p = 0.01), and sympathetic activation (LFnu: B = 0.01, p = 0.01; R²=26 %). In men, poorer performance correlated with autonomic dysregulation (higher HR: B=-0.01, p = 0.04; lower PNN50: B=-0.01, p = 0.01; R²=30 %). Notably, no significant gender differences emerged in HRV parameters or sleep measures. Conclusions: This study reveals a paradox: women maintained strong academic performance despite higher stress levels, potentially due to adaptive stress responses (moderate sympathetic activation). In contrast, men’s performance was more affected by physiological dysregulation. While these findings suggest gender-divergent stress pathways, longitudinal research with direct emotion regulation measures is needed. The results underscore the value of gender-tailored interventions in academia.20252025-06-2520252025-01-0120252025-01-01journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11268/14694reponame:ABACUS. Repositorio de Producción Científicainstname:Universidad Europea (UEM)Inglésengopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:abacus.universidadeuropea.com:11268/146942026-06-11T12:41:27Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Gender differences in psychophysiological responses to stress and academic performance: The role of sleep, anxiety, and Heart Rate Variability
title Gender differences in psychophysiological responses to stress and academic performance: The role of sleep, anxiety, and Heart Rate Variability
spellingShingle Gender differences in psychophysiological responses to stress and academic performance: The role of sleep, anxiety, and Heart Rate Variability
Benítez Agudelo, Juan Camilo
Ciencias médicas
Psicofisiología
Efectos fisiológicos
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
title_short Gender differences in psychophysiological responses to stress and academic performance: The role of sleep, anxiety, and Heart Rate Variability
title_full Gender differences in psychophysiological responses to stress and academic performance: The role of sleep, anxiety, and Heart Rate Variability
title_fullStr Gender differences in psychophysiological responses to stress and academic performance: The role of sleep, anxiety, and Heart Rate Variability
title_full_unstemmed Gender differences in psychophysiological responses to stress and academic performance: The role of sleep, anxiety, and Heart Rate Variability
title_sort Gender differences in psychophysiological responses to stress and academic performance: The role of sleep, anxiety, and Heart Rate Variability
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Benítez Agudelo, Juan Camilo
Restrepo, Dayana
Clemente Suárez, Vicente Javier
author Benítez Agudelo, Juan Camilo
author_facet Benítez Agudelo, Juan Camilo
Restrepo, Dayana
Clemente Suárez, Vicente Javier
author_role author
author2 Restrepo, Dayana
Clemente Suárez, Vicente Javier
author2_role author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Ciencias médicas
Psicofisiología
Efectos fisiológicos
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
topic Ciencias médicas
Psicofisiología
Efectos fisiológicos
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
description Background: The prevalence of stress among university students has become a significant public health concern, with gender differences in psychophysiological responses remaining understudied. This study examined how gender influences stress-related factors and their association with academic performance. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 601 Colombian university students (74.7 % women, aged 15–47). Participants completed online questionnaires assessing sleep habits, personality traits (Big Five Inventory), anxiety (STAI), psychological inflexibility (AAQ-II), solitude (UCLA), perceived stress (PSS-4), and depression (Zung Scale). Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured via ECG to evaluate autonomic function. Academic performance was quantified using GPAs (1–5 scale). Independent t-tests and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results: Women exhibited significantly higher levels of neuroticism (p = 0.01), anxiety (p = 0.01), psychological inflexibility (p = 0.01), and perceived stress (p = 0.01) compared to their male counterparts. Regression analyses revealed gender-specific patterns: in women, academic success was predicted by longer sleep duration (B = 0.08, p = 0.01), moderate anxiety levels (B = 0.03, p = 0.01), and sympathetic activation (LFnu: B = 0.01, p = 0.01; R²=26 %). In men, poorer performance correlated with autonomic dysregulation (higher HR: B=-0.01, p = 0.04; lower PNN50: B=-0.01, p = 0.01; R²=30 %). Notably, no significant gender differences emerged in HRV parameters or sleep measures. Conclusions: This study reveals a paradox: women maintained strong academic performance despite higher stress levels, potentially due to adaptive stress responses (moderate sympathetic activation). In contrast, men’s performance was more affected by physiological dysregulation. While these findings suggest gender-divergent stress pathways, longitudinal research with direct emotion regulation measures is needed. The results underscore the value of gender-tailored interventions in academia.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025-06-25
2025
2025-01-01
2025
2025-01-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv journal article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11268/14694
url http://hdl.handle.net/11268/14694
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:ABACUS. Repositorio de Producción Científica
instname:Universidad Europea (UEM)
instname_str Universidad Europea (UEM)
reponame_str ABACUS. Repositorio de Producción Científica
collection ABACUS. Repositorio de Producción Científica
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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