Perceived Stress, Sex, and Quality of Life among Academic University Staff in Lagos State: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Quality of life (QOL) is a crucial public concern, especially among academic university staff as it influences not only their personal life but also their overall productivity in workplace. This cross-sectional study, utilizing a multistage sampling technique, investigates the influence of perceived stress and sex on QoL among academic university staff in Lagos State. The study is grounded in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and Lazarus' Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, highlighting how work-related stressors influence QoL. Using a sample of 321 participants (203 males and 118 females), it was hypothesized that perceived stress will negatively influence quality of life and that male academic staff will significantly report higher quality of life than female academic staff. The study revealed a significant negative influence of perceived stress on quality of life (β = -.390; t=-7.573; P <.05). furthermore, the study revealed that although male academic staff reported higher quality of life, it isn’t statistically significant (t= 1.38, df (319), P>.05). The study recommended that academic institutions in Lagos should implement specific policies to mitigate perceived stress among academic staff, universities should partner with local mental health to provide culturally sensitive stress management programs.