Perception of Academic Impact in Latin American University Students based on the Fear of the Outbreak of a Large-scale War: Cross-sectional Survey

Percepción de repercusión académica según el miedo al inicio de una gran guerra en estudiantes universitarios de Latinoamérica: encuesta transversal

Published 2025-03-07

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Vol. 7 No. 2 (2025)
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Research Article
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Mejia CR, Paucar MC, Cedillo-Balcázar J, Requena T, Armada J, Zamora-Huaringa EG, et al. Perception of Academic Impact in Latin American University Students based on the Fear of the Outbreak of a Large-scale War: Cross-sectional Survey. Rev. Investig. Innov. Cienc. Salud [Internet]. 2025 Mar. 7 [cited 2025 Apr. 23];7(2):1-16. Available from: https://riics.info/index.php/RCMC/article/view/361
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https://doi.org/10.46634/riics.361
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Christian R. Mejia
Asociación Médica de Investigación y Servicios en Salud
Roles:  
Perfil Google Scholar
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5940-7281
Medally C. Paucar
Asociación Médica de Investigación y Servicios en Salud
Roles:  
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7982-5651
Jamil Cedillo-Balcázar
Instituto Superior Tecnológico Daniel Álvarez Burneo
Roles:  
Perfil Google Scholar
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1468-0628
Tatiana Requena
Cesar Vallejo University image/svg+xml
Roles:  
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5855-7459
José Armada
Universidad Continental image/svg+xml
Roles:  
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3827-6144
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Christian R. Mejia,

Asociación Médica de Investigación y Servicios en Salud; Lima; Perú.

Medally C. Paucar,

Asociación Médica de Investigación y Servicios en Salud; Lima; Perú.

Jamil Cedillo-Balcázar,

1 Instituto Superior Tecnológico Daniel Álvarez Burneo; Loja; Ecuador.

2 Hospital Oncológico de la Sociedad de Lucha Contra el Cáncer, Núcleo de Loja; SOLCA Loja; Ecuador.

Tatiana Requena,

Universidad César Vallejo; Trujillo, Perú.

José Armada,

Universidad Continental; Huancayo; Perú.

Elvira G. Zamora-Huaringa,

Asociación Médica de Investigación y Servicios en Salud; Lima; Perú.

Martin A. Vilela-Estrada,

1 Hospital Nacional Madre Niño San Bartolomé; Lima; Perú.

2 Escuela de Posgrado; Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego; Trujillo; Perú.

Víctor Serna-Alarcón,

1 Escuela Profesional de Medicina Humana; Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego; Trujillo; Perú.

2 Hospital Regional José Cayetano Heredia; EsSalud; Piura; Perú.

Bryan Alexis Cossio-Alva,

1 Escuela de Estomatología; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; Universidad César Vallejo; Piura, Perú.

Introduction. The military conflict between Ukraine and Russia is causing great concern, as it could potentially escalate into a larger scale war. This has once again put students’ academic activities at risk.

Objective. To determine the perceived academic impact based on the fear of a large-scale war among university students in Latin America.

Method. A cross-sectional, analytical, and multicenter study was conducted in seven Latin American countries, surveying 1,455 university students. Perceived academic impact was assessed through a categorized questionnaire and analyzed in relation to socio-educational variables, anxiety, depression, and stress, measured using the validated DASS-21 scale.

Results. Multivariate analysis revealed that the perception of significant academic impact was higher among those fearing a large-scale war (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.25–1.46; P < .001) and among students with severe or very severe anxiety (aPR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.12–1.40; P < .001). Conversely, male students (aPR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.74–0.89; P < .001) and those residing in Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Mexico reported a lower perception of impact.

Conclusion. There was a greater perception of academic impact among those who perceived the potential for a global conflict, as well as among those with anxiety, women, and according to the country of residence.

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