Lifestyle Of Medical Students Research Articles

From plate to profile: investigating the influence of dietary habits and inactive lifestyle on lipid profile in medical students at clerkship

BackgroundDietary habits have a strong association with body lipid levels and hyperlipidemia increases the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Dietary habits have been a major concern among medical students due to busy schedules and demanding tasks. This study was designed to know the dietary habits and lifestyle of medical students and its association with their lipid profile.MethodsWe recruited 120 medical students at clerkship of the age of 18 and above. Weekly dietary habits were evaluated by an 18-item questionnaire. Five ml blood was drawn from the students and lipid profiles were measured at Dow Diagnostic Research and Reference Laboratory (DDRRL). Data was analyzed by SPSS V.22.ResultsWe found 70% of students were not involved in any physical activity throughout the week. Only 15.83% were following a regular diet plan. 65% of students were eating junk food for more than 3 days a week in their weekly diet. Moreover, 19.2%, 39.2%, 32.5%, and 25.84% of students were having their total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and LDL levels above the optimum ranges respectively which were frequently found in students of final year (p < 0.05). There was high total cholesterol and LDL in males as compared to females (p value < 0.05). Total cholesterol and LDL were associated with skipped meal, use of junk food and carbonated drinks for more than 3 days a week (p < 0.05).ConclusionThere was a notable number of students with poor dietary habits, inactive lifestyle and lipid levels above the optimum ranges defined by American Heart Association (AHA) that have an association with dietary habits. This is alarming and can impact the health of future healthcare workers. There is a need to investigate the factors and remedies to help medical students to follow a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Quality of life and GERD incidence in medical students: A cross-sectional study

Medical students are highly susceptible to GERD due to the intense pressure and hectic pace of medical education. Risk factors for GERD in medical students include inadequate knowledge, poor dietary habits, frequent coffee consumption, and high stress levels. This cross-sectional study enrolled 250 students. Data were analysed using chi-squared test and logistic regression. The results showed a significant association between knowledge (0.000), diet (0.000) and coffee consumption (0.002) with GERD in medical students. Stress was not a significant risk factor in this study (0.127). Regression modelling showed that improving diet can minimise the risk of GERD by a factor of one. There is a need to improve diet and lifestyle in medical students to minimise GERD.

Knowledge and Barriers to a Healthy Lifestyle in Medical Students

Across the US, chronic illnesses, including cancer and cardiovascular disease, largely result from poor lifestyle decisions such as diet, tobacco/alcohol use, and physical inactivity. Medical students' healthy lifestyle habits drastically decline during medical school, which can result in severe medical conditions, future poor patient outcomes, and burnout. However, little evidence exists on what perceived barriers medical students hold on lifestyle behaviors or how well they understand the relationship between specific lifestyle behaviors and their impact on health. This study included data from a self-selected sample of 127 medical students aged 22-41 years. Measures included the perceived health impact of 14 different lifestyle and dietary behaviors, self-reported barriers to lifestyle behaviors, and basic demographic questions. Results showed an average correlation of −.004 between participants' perceived impact and the actual impact of the behaviors on health (SD = .25; CI = −.047 - .039). Results also identified perceived barriers across behaviors that impact health. Data suggests that medical students have insufficient knowledge of the impact of lifestyle behaviors on health. Interventions targeting a medical student population should include information on how to overcome perceived barriers and the impact of lifestyle behaviors on health. Incorporating such information will bolster future interventions' effectiveness.

Fantastic Lifestyle Questionnaire applied to undergraduate medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a factor analysis.

To identify what structure represents life style in medical students, in a public university, with the application of the Fantastic Lifestyle Questionnaire. This is a cross-sectional exploratory study. The Fantastic Lifestyle Questionnaire was applied online to medical students. Factorial analysis was realized and factors were extracted by principal components method. Rotation was conducted by Varimax method. Sixty-one questionnaires were analyzed. Students were male in 45.9%, single in 88.5%. The model was composed of three factors that explained 63.5% of all observed variance. The factors related to sleep perception, nutrition and stress, followed by relationships and entertainment and then, activity. Cronbach's alpha was 0.81, which was considered good. The model composed by the three factors observed in this group of students represented the construct quality of life, evaluated by the Fantastic Lifestyle Questionnaire. This result may provide substrate to actions that aim to improve quality of life and well-being in medical students from this university.

A study to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on Lifestyle of Medical students.

Background:Stressful situations are often linked with poor health and lifestyle behaviors (e.g., unhealthy diet, limited physical activity, poor sleep quality etc.). Subsequent to the nationwide lockdown in Pakistan due to COVID-19 pandemic, medical students experienced substantial lifestyle changes along with academic stresses. The goal of this study was to measure the impact that the COVID-19 lockdown had on lifestyle like sleep, physical activity and nutrition, substance abuse, dealing with finances, spirituality and family life, with respect to a sample of Pakistani medical students.Methods:This cross- sectional online study involving 1100 medical students (68.7% females) from five medical colleges in Pakistan, used self-administered questionnaire to evaluate the impact of pandemic related restrictions on lifestyle of medical students in Pakistan from August- September 2020. Parameters such as physical activity, sleep, nutrition, smoking and substance abuse, family life, finances, internet use and spirituality were studied.Results:Fifty-nine percent of medical students reported a significant effect of lockdown on their physical activity. Only 5.8% people clearly followed or adhered to a routine during the pandemic. About 54.6% students have found that physical activity and exercise significantly reduced their anxiety. More than half of respondents reported increase in screen time, weight gain and poor sleep with 3.1% of students stating an increased use of sleeping pills to fall asleep Another 18.3% students had an increased worry regarding COVID19 based on the information they received on internet. No significant increase in substance uses and alcohol use or family conflicts among students post pandemic was noted.Conclusion:Our findings underscore that COVID-19 pandemic has led to undesired changes in health and lifestyle habits of medical students, which may, to some extent, be responsible for higher negative impact. Hence it is important for medical colleges to start awareness campaigns to tackle challenges for medical students physical and emotional well-being.

Lifestyle of medical students

Purpose: Using the World Health Organization definition that a healthy lifestyle is a way of living that lowers the risk of serious illness or early death, our goal was to examine the lifestyle changes made by medical students over the years of study. A healthy lifestyle, which is crucial to maintain and protect health, is determined by many variables, both positive and negative.&#x0D; Methods: A total of first, third and fifth year medical students at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Maribor (165 students, 57 males and 108 females) were enrolled in the study during the academic year 2017/18. Lifestyle data, including physical activity, nutrition, sleep hygiene, and drug, tobacco and alcohol use, were collected using a standardized self-assessment questionnaire, the FANTASTIC Lifestyle Assessment Instrument, which had been translated into Slovenian. The questionnaire was supplemented with further questions to explore psychological aspects of lifestyle, such as mental well-being, social inclusion, altruism and student activities.&#x0D; Results: Our sample of first, third and fifth year medical students revealed unhealthy changes in life habits, which were closely associated with the length of training. For the third year students, the situation had reached a crisis point, probably because the initial enthusiasm over choice of study had worn off, and stress had become less managable in the transition period between preclinical and clinical training. During their third year, the students consumed the largest amount of controlled substances and prescription and OTC drugs (p=0.003), lacked goals and purpose in life, were less connected with the faculty (p=0.000) and showed a decline in altruism (p=0.007).&#x0D; Conclusions: Our results show that the psychophysical stress burden among medical students increases with duration of training, reaching crisis point during the third year. We recommend that medical students should arrange self-help and support groups to maintain a healthier lifestyle during this challenging period.

Development and validation of an instrument to evaluate medical students' lifestyle.

It is required to have validated instruments in health science students that identify unhealthy habits and assess the impact of educational interventions and programs aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle. To evaluate the validity and reliability of an instrument to measure medical students' lifestyles. A lifestyle questionnaire was developed using the Delphi technique by a group of experts. The final questionnaire was applied to 332 students of the School of Medicine of the Ricardo Palma University in 2017. A preliminary examination was carried out to assess preconditions for construct validityincluding the correlation matrix, the Kaiser Meyer Olkin statistic, and the Bartlett sphericity test. Factor analysis was used for construct validity, and the possible resulting factors were extracted through the principal component analysis. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated to assess the instrument reliability. In this study, 41.6% of participants were men with a mean age of 20 years (standard deviation = 3). The preconditions for the factor analysis were a Kaiser Meyer Olkin coefficient = 0.773 and a significant Bartlett sphericity test. For the 47 items of the final questionnaire, the factor analysis showed an explained variance of 56.7% with eigenvalues greater than one. Cronbach's alpha was 0.78. The final questionnaire could assume values between -23 to 151 points. Based on a cut point of 71 points, the prevalence of students with an unhealthy lifestyle was 73.6%. The developed instrument has acceptable validity and reliability to measure lifestyle in medical students. For external validation, studies in other university populations are suggested.

Health behaviors of medical students decline towards residency: how could we maintain and enhance these behaviors throughout their training

BackgroundWe examined health behaviors and perceptions among medical students and compared them with the results of a previous survey among residents and senior physicians.MethodsThis cross–sectional study was performed among second-year medical students (2015–2018) and among physicians (2015) using an online questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.ResultsSignificantly more physicians perceived their health as bad, compared with students. Half of the residents, compared with one-third of senior physicians and one-fifth of students, reported high emotional stress. Residents reported the worst, and students - the best, eating habits. Logistic regression models demonstrated that lower emotional stress, healthy eating habits, adequate sleep, lower body mass index and not having a regular physician, explained good perceived health. Female gender, being a resident, bad perceived health, unhealthy eating habits, less sleep and not having a regular physician, were correlated with high emotional stress.ConclusionsThe healthy lifestyle of medical students declines towards residency. Given the workload and emotional stress of their chosen profession, it is advised that medical school curriculum provide students with measures to help them to adopt healthier lifestyles, allowing students and physicians to be better role models and the healthcare system to perform better.

Assessment of the physical, social and value component of health in the structure of healthy lifestyle among the student youth of medical university

Introduction. Young people act as a basic component of the security of society. Physical development data is an indicator of the level of health of the population. Studying at the university coincides with the reproductive period. Adverse effects on the body of young people during this period can negatively affect the health of the next generation. Physical culture and sports activities allow students to integrate effectively into the educational space of the university.The objective of our study was to assess the morphological and medical and social characteristics of the physical development of the student youth in Saratov.Methods and materials. The study was conducted in 2018–2019 at the base of the department of physical therapy, sports medicine and physiotherapy in Saratov State Medical University named after V. I. Razumovsky. Respondents were the students of the Saratov State Medical University named after V. I. Razumovsky as the most promising group of young people in the preservation of reproductive health. Anthropometric parameters were carried out in accordance with the recommendations of V. V. Bunak. The study included anthropometric parameters: body weight, body length, and mass-growth correlation. We analyzed the values of the method «Diagnosing the real structure of value orientations». Analysis of self assessment of the level of health and assessment of their healthy lifestyle by the author’s questionnaire of a closed type.Results. Data of anthropometric parameters of physical development and body mass index of boys 2018–2019 tends to be overweight. S.S. Bubnova’s most preferred values for medical students are «help and mercy for people», «recognition and respect for others» and «pleasant pastime» that does not correlate with health care. Analysis of value priorities in the healthy lifestyle of medical students showed that the majority of respondents to health is not quite high role.Conclusion. Motivated preservation of individual health and active position of the university in the case of healthy lifestyle during the student studies can have a beneficial effect in the formation of health behavior of young people. It is necessary to establish the possibility of regular, accessible and balanced nutrition of students during the study at the university.

PROBLEM OF MEDICAL STUDENTS WHICH PREVENT FORMING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Background: The study of the problems of forming a healthy lifestyle is due to the increase and change in the nature of loads on students in connection with: -the introduction of new educational programs that require a large proportion of students ' self-training; -emotional pressure - the case of a pandemic causes fear and limits the communication of students; many students do not live in a family, work part-time; -increasing risks of man-made nature (worldwide digitalization, introduction of IT technologies); These loads provoke negative changes in the state of health of students. Purpose: 1) Identify the main factors that prevent the formation of a healthy lifestyle of medical students. 2) Suggest optimal ways to solve stressful situations that prevent the formation of a healthy lifestyle for medical students.

Drinking water as an element of a healthy lifestyle of medical students

Aim to study medical university students attitude to water intake as an element of a healthy lifestyle.&#x0D; Material and methods. 824 students of medical university took part in a survey on their attitude to drinking water. The data obtained were processed using the methods of descriptive, parametric and nonparametric statistics.&#x0D; Results. The students attitude to water consumption corresponds to the current WHO recommendations. Almost all respondents (93.2%) agree that water and its rational consumption have positive impact on human health. 87.3% of the students consume water as a drink, with an average of 1.530.02 liters per day. 81.8% of respondents use drinking water to satisfy their thirst. 55.3% of respondents prefer still spring water. 32.9% of respondents pointed to the leading role of the family and traditions in forming a certain attitude to drinking water consumption. The respondents also noted the influence of media reports and advertising (20.0%) and of the immediate environment such as friends, classmates, etc. (19.8%). 51.8% of respondents are ready to replace the drinks they use with drinking water.&#x0D; Conclusion. The main factors determining the behavior of the majority of students in relation to the rational use of drinking water are age and family (including the presence of medical workers among relatives).

Lifestyle and Chronic Constipation in Medical Students.

Aim Constipation is one of the most common complaints of the digestive system indicated with an increase in defecation frequency, difficulty in defecation, and hard and strained defecation. Environmental, personal, and genetic factors may be affecting constipation although the affecting factors have not yet been thoroughly explained. The aim of this study was to investigate constipation frequency and lifestyles in medical students. Method The population was selected among medical students for the study, which was planned as a survey study. Demographic data of all the participants and the factors suggested to affect constipation were questioned and analyzed. Results The study covered a total of 425 medical students. Among the students reporting constipation, 2.86% were in their first year of medical school, while 7.53% were in the third year and 9.09% were in the sixth year. The rate of students reporting constipation and familial history was statistically significant. While regular eating habits were reported in the first and third years, this rate was much lower in the sixth year group working at clinical departments. The results of our study did not reveal any significant relationship between daily intake of water and constipation. There was, however, a significant relationship between stress and constipation. Conclusion The results of our study showed that medical education did not curb constipation frequency. We believe that stress is significant in constipation. The data we collected indicate that regular eating habits and excess liquid intake are not as effective as suggested in the treatment of constipation.

Educational Program “Healthy Lifestyle University” for Medical Students’ Vocational Adjustment Development

The paper describes the design and the essential results of a specially developed educational program “Healthy Lifestyle University”. This program can be viewed as an effective tool of medical students’ lifestyle monitoring as well as social and vocational position development. The program has been designed and implemented in Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University, and successfully tested in the XI open public All-Russian competition of educational institutions of higher education (subordinate to the Ministry of HealthCare of the Russian Federation). The program was the winner in the category “Higher Education Institution of Healthy Lifestyle”. The essential educational components of the program, dedicated to dissemination of medical knowledges and fostering healthy lifestyle in medical students are disclosed in the article. The results of the survey reflect modern medical students’ modus vivendi and the concept of “healthy lifestyle” perceptions, as well as students’ troubles, needs and suggestions for further improvement of healthy lifestyle conditions, facilities and opportunities. These provide essential guidelines for further development of healthy and student-friendly university environment in Russia. The propagated healthy lifestyle set of values and attitudes contributes to vocational adjustment and vocational position formation, as well as personal and vocational selfreflection preparedness development of medical students.

Socio-psychological aspects of medical students’ attitude toward health

Objective: to identify the socio-psychological features of medical students’ attitude toward health. Material and methods. The methods of theoretical analysis of philosophical, psychological and pedagogical literature on the research problem; methods of questioning, observation; statistical analysis of empirical data ( j * - Fisher's criterion, Spearman's rank correlation method) were used. Results. The performed study has made it possible to determine the theoretical bases for the formation of modern notions about health and a healthy lifestyle in medical students. The analysis of the socio-psychological aspects of junior medical students` attitude toward health has showed that mainly stereotyped notions such as («sport is health») and inadequate understanding of the relation of a health status and commitment to a healthy lifestyle are typical for the study participants. Conclusion. In order to ensure high quality of professional medical education, it is necessary to form notions about health and a healthy lifestyle based on the concept of positive health in medical students. Health providers should understand a special importance of healthy lifestyle promotion among population, which will be ineffective if future doctors themselves will not pay enough attention to their health.

Internet: A double-edged sword? – A cross-sectional study

Introduction: The Internet has become a must-present factor in our day-to-day life. As like any other substance like plastic, the Internet also demonstrates threats which affect health and thereby life also. Objectives: To find the prevalence and impact of internet addiction on health and lifestyle of medical students in a private medical college in Kerala. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students for a period of 1 month. A questionnaire was used to document the sociodemographic details, internet addiction by young's Internet Addiction Test, and questions regarding impact of the Internet on life. Results: In the present study, we found that 71% of students (mild 107 [54%] and moderate 34 [17%]) had internet addiction. Internet addiction was significantly associated with male gender, mobile/tablet usage, eye strain, time to initiate sleep, frequency of sleep trouble, hours spent on the Internet, money spent, presence of backache, and appetite change with internet addiction. Conclusion: The study finding of presence of internet addiction has to be considered seriously along with tobacco and alcohol consumption. Awareness has to be made relating to the right use, right amount, and right time of using the Internet.

SELF-EVALUATION OF OWN HEALTH BY STUDENTS OF BUKOVINIAN STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

The purpose of the work: Investigate the health status and lifestyle of medical students and identify the ways of prevention among them.Material and methods. Information was obtained during an analytical survey of the students of the III, IV, VI courses of medical faculties of Bukovina State Medical University; the analysis of primary social information was developed with the help of methods of medical statistics.Results. During the questioning of medical students, self-evaluation of their health by the main subjective factors that form a healthy lifestyle, namely the organization of life, the mode of study and rest, active physical activity, use of alcohol and tobacco, other psychoactive drugs and their influence on the functions of the body was studied. It is particularly important whether the students use the acquired knowledge for the period of study at the university.Conclusions. The study of the assessment of the state of their own health according to the subjective assessments by medical students of the Belarusian State Medical University showed that the overwhelming majority of them are satisfied with their own health (good and excellent - 60.5%), 32.6% - satisfactory, only 4.6% - unsatisfactory.The overwhelming majority - 76.7% of the surveyed students have admitted that they have the greatest negative impact on the implementation of the final control works, modules and less during the educational process (20.9%), and this requires adaptation mechanisms and conflict resolution among medical students.The evaluation of the results of the interviewed medical students showed their insufficient medical activity to apply the acquired medical knowledge to form the foundations of a healthy lifestyle and to realize the implementation of the corresponding comprehensive preventive measures of diseases, namely: the purposeful educational and hygienic activity of forming a system of public and personal values among future physicians, constant dynamic monitoring of their health while studying at a university, especially with their risk factors, Advocacy and, especially, involving them in physical training, creating appropriate organizational arrangements for creating conditions, organizing the educational process and others to preserve the health of the university's student youth.

Does Lifestyle of Medical Students have a Role in Determining Body Mass Index and Body Fat Percentage?

Does Lifestyle of Medical Students have a Role in Determining Body Mass Index and Body Fat Percentage?

Do medical students adhere to advice regarding a healthy lifestyle? A pilot study of BMI and some aspects of lifestyle in medical students in Poland.

The components of lifestyle of medical students, with comprehensive reporting of their physical activity and drinking and eating behavior, are rarely evaluated. Being overweight (increased body mass index - BMI) is associated with health problems, an unhealthy lifestyle (inadequate sleep, diet and exercise) being implicated. The aim was to determine if there were discrepancies between assessments of actual lifestyle and advice regarding the principles of a healthy lifestyle. The relationship between lifestyle and BMI was investigated in 270 medical students (158 females, 112 males) who answered a questionnaire about aspects of their lifestyle. The mean ±SD BMI in males (23.41 ±0.25kg/m2) was significantly higher than in females (20.52 ±0.16kg/m2). Many aspects of lifestyle differed significantly with gender, including sleep habits, number of meals eaten, types of food eaten (fast food, amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables, sweets, etc.) and alcohol consumption, males generally having less healthy lifestyles. After correcting the associations between BMI and lifestyle factors for gender, one main finding was a positive association between BMI and alcohol intake, BMI rising by 0.014 kg/m2/g alcohol intake per week. These results show clear differences between actual and advised lifestyle with regard to many aspects of sleep, food and fluid intake, and exercise. Most students, particularly males, had not adopted a healthy lifestyle. Possible future problems associated with this require more emphasis.

Lifestyle of Medical Students at Qassim University

Lifestyle of Medical Students at Qassim University

Assessment of health-promoting lifestyle in medical students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2014

Background: Health-promoting lifestyle is one of the determination criteria for health factors and the prevention of health-threatening factors. According to the available statistics, 53% of deaths are related to lifestyle. The aim of this study was to evaluate health-promoting lifestyles in medical students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences (RUMS), Rafsanjan, Iran. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive study conducted in 2014 on 262 volunteer medical students. To collect data, a demographic information questionnaire and the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) were used. Minimum and maximum scores of HPLP-II were 48 and 192, respectively. Data analysis was conducted using t-test, one-way ANOVA, Tukey's multiple comparison test, and non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: In this study, 58.8% of the participants were women. The mean age of the participants was 22.50 ± 2.16 years. The mean and standard deviation of the HPLP-II score of the medical students was 109.74 ± 18.65. There was a significant relationship between health-promoting lifestyle and variables of age (P = 0.007), university entrance year (P less-than 0.001), mothers education level (P = 0.003), and fathers education level (P = 0.011). However, no relationship was observed between health-promoting lifestyle and parental occupation and place of residence (P greater-than 0.050). Conclusions: This study showed that the status of health-promoting lifestyles in medical students of RUMS was at a moderate level, but it is still at a great distance to the optimal level. Therefore, it is necessary to implement programs to promote a healthy lifestyle in order to maintain health in the youth until graduatio.