THE EFFECT OF KOREAN POP (K-POP) MUSIC ON REDUCING STRESS LEVELS AMONG FIRST-YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

New students must adapt to both academic demands and the higher education environment, a process that can trigger stress. Music serves as an accessible, non-pharmacological intervention for stress management; this includes Korean Pop (K-Pop) music, which is highly popular among students. This study aimed to determine the effect of K-Pop music on reducing stress levels among first-year nursing students at the Health Polytechnic of the Ministry of Health in Surakarta (Poltekkes Kemenkes Surakarta). A one-group pretest-posttest design was employed. The sample consisted of 42 first-year nursing students, selected from a total population of 255. Stress levels were measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-42 (DASS-42) before and after a six-day K-Pop music intervention. Changes in stress levels were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Prior to the intervention, the majority of respondents experienced mild stress (n=27; 64.3%), followed by moderate stress (n=10; 23.8%) and severe stress (n=5; 11.9%). Following the intervention, 30 respondents (71.4%) fell into the normal category, while 7 (16.7%) experienced mild stress, 3 (7.1%) moderate stress, and 2 (4.8%) severe stress. The Wilcoxon test yielded a Z-value of -4.311 (p < 0.001). Specifically, 31 respondents (73.8%) showed a decrease in stress scores, 4 (9.5%) showed an increase, and 7 (16.7%) showed no change. There is a significant difference in stress levels among first-year nursing students before and after exposure to K-Pop music. K-Pop music has the potential to be utilized as a non-pharmacological approach to assist students in managing stress..