Influence of lifestyle on academic performance in basic cycle medical students

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the influence of lifestyle on academic performance in basic cycle medical students. Methods: The study involved applying two instruments to 51 medical students to identify cognitive function and lifestyle habits, as well as the level of physical activity through an international questionnaire. Results: No direct correlations were found between cognitive function and physical activity. Significant correlations were identified between participants' age and average correct answers in the Dissertation Cognitive Assessment (DCA) (r=0.4, p=0.01), extracurricular study days and average correct answers in the DCA (r=0.4, p=0.006), out-of-class study hours and average correct answers in the DCA (r=0.4, p=0.006), and between hours of sleep and days of alcohol consumption in the month (r=-0.6, p=0.000). Conclusion: The findings suggest that older students and those who spend more time studying outside the classroom exhibit better academic performance. Furthermore, a lifestyle with higher frequency of alcohol consumption is associated with reduced hours of sleep. These elements are fundamental to understanding and improving learning strategies and well-being of medical students.