Objective:

Identify a model with multiple regression to relate State-Trait Anxiety, with the situations of academic stress and coping styles; in addition, compare the differences in the responses between male and female, nursing students at a public university in Mexico.

Methodology:

were evaluated 675 students between 18 and 24 years old, through the Trait-State Anxiety Inventory, Academic Stress Inventory and the Nowack Stress Profile questionnaires. This model was obtained through regression analysis.

Main results:

The model identified the following dimensions as predictors of Anxiety-Trait: negative assessment, threat minimization and the inverse of positive assessment of the coping style, as well as with academic stress situations (exposure of a job, overcrowding in the classroom, obligatory works, group work, classroom intervention, academic overload, and competitiveness between classmates) as predictors of Anxiety-Trait and explained 84% of the variance (R2 = .84). Regarding the comparative analysis, the female sex presented higher levels of anxiety, academic stress, as well as in the coping style of concentration of the problem compared to the men.

Main conclusion:

the presence of academic stress situations and negative coping styles can be conditions that generate trait anxiety. If they are identified in a timely manner, it could help controlling or eliminating them, before they can affect the health and academic performance of nursing students.