The first one sounds natural since to "stave off" something means to keep something away, to prevent something from happening. Example: One may stave off depression by seeking medical help at an earlier stage. : One may stave off flu by taking vitamin C. : One may stave off obesity by eating healthy and exercising regularly. The second one may suggest that to "stave off" means to stop something from affecting you further or causing more harm.

There doesn’t seem to be a regional difference. ‘Staving off’ often has the sense of being temporary - the underlying tension doesn’t disappear but you are preventing negative consequences. Let’s stave off our hunger and get a bite to eat here. (We are going to have to eat again in the future) Let’s try to stave off a conflict at our wedding by seating the relatives that don’t like each other as far away as possible. (We aren’t making the relatives like each other. We are managing the fact that they don’t.) It wouldn’t be wrong to use ‘stave off’ for something permanent, but it would sound a little imprecise to my ear.