Asociación entre el apoyo social y el estrés percibido en estudiantes universitarios con condición de foráneos en la ciudad de Loja, Ecuador, durante el año 2026

Abstract

Abstract:The overall objective of this study was to determine the association between social support and perceived stress in university students from outside the city of Loja, Ecuador, in 2026. Therefore, a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational approach was adopted. The sample consisted of 104 university students from outside the city of Loja. The Ad Hoc sociodemographic instrument was administered, along with the MOS Social Support Questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The majority of the participants presented moderate levels of stress. Regarding social support, the highest-rated dimension was positive social interaction (PSI). Finally, the correlation between stress and social support was negative, weak, and not statistically significant. This finding differs from what has been reported in the reviewed literature, which indicates that, in most cases, there is a negative and statistically significant association between both variables, identifying social support as a protective factor against perceived stress.