Predictors of the quality of life of medical university students in the initial period of schooling

Abstract

AIM: This study aimed to examine prognostic parameters of health-related quality of life of medical students to determine the possibilities of its correlation with subsequent optimization of the educational environment of the university.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted from 02/01/2017 to 01/10/2020 at the School of Biomedicine of the Far Eastern Federal University and the Pacific State Medical University. It included 496 students of both sexes [251 (50.6%) women, 245 (49.4%) men; average age, 20.4 years] enrolled in 13 medical courses. Demographic characteristics, education and living conditions, and morbidity data were collected using the comprehensive I.V. Pozdeeva questionnaire (2008) supplemented by authors as well as the standard medical documentation of the polyclinic. The MOS SF-36 Health-Related Quality of Life Brief Self-Assessment Questionnaire was used to evaluate the health-related quality of life. The Academic Motivation Scale questionnaire survey was performed, and statistical data on academic performance were collected using K. Maslach and S. Jackson questionnaire for the administrative offices of educational institutions.
 RESULTS: The following scores were obtained on the self-assessment of the quality of life: physical functioning, 58.8 points; role functioning, 27.4 points; somatic pain (reverse assessment), 79.4 points; general well-being, 48.6 points; hardiness, 61.2 points; social functioning, 57.3 points; emotional status, 51.0 points; psychological comfort, 53.7 points. The students showed a high level of motivation to learn (47.759.8 points by the Vallerand scale) and a low professional burnout index (24.944.0 by Maslach and Jackson scale); the performance indicators were 4.14.6 points. Each parameter of self-assessment of physical and mental state is significantly associated with the composite average assessment of the health-related quality of life (r=0.490.86; p0.05). The health-related quality of life of medical students was found to be associated with academic performance (=0.27, p0.05), but motivation to study (=0.35, p0.05) was not correlated with the level of professional burnout. A strong relationship was also found between health-related quality of life and comorbidity (=0.30, p0.05) and sports (=0.27, p0.05).
 CONCLUSIONS: The scores on the total self-assessment of the quality of life by medical students are within the normal range. Most students are highly motivated to learn, perform well, and have little or no burnout. The health-related quality of life of medical students at the start of their schooling is reliably influenced by academic performance, motivation to study, and level of chronic morbidity and physical activity.