OBJECTIVES: Medical students experience worse psychological well-being than the general population. Social determinants of health (SDOH) relate to conditions in which people live, work, and age and significantly influence mental health. This study examines the association between depressive symptoms and SDOH in medical students from four countries: Czechia, Iran, Kenya, and Venezuela. METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in the spring of 2022. The questionnaire focused on depressive symptoms (using a validated psychiatric scale DASS-21 to assess mental health) and various SDOHs. RESULTS: A total of 2,033 medical students participated in the survey, with a median age of 23.0 years; 64.8% were females; 60.8% of respondents had some degree of depressive symptoms (mild-to-moderate 32.5%, severe-to-extremely severe 28.3%). Several SDOHs, such as low engagement in social life, low personal funds, and low social class, were strongly associated with severe-to-extremely severe depressive symptoms (p < 0.001), and the associations differed among countries. The prevalence of severe-to-extremely severe depressive symptoms varied significantly across the four countries, with Iran having the highest prevalence (OR = 2.1 compared to Czechia), followed by Czechia (OR = 1, reference value), Kenya (OR = 0.9), and Venezuela (OR = 0.6). CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates the high prevalence of depressive symptoms among medical students from four global regions and the significant association with specific SDOH. Notably, the variation in prevalence across countries and differential relationships with SDOH underscore the importance of considering transcultural factors in research and management to improve mental health among medical students.
- MeSH
- Depression * epidemiology MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Prevalence MeSH
- Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
- Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
- Social Determinants of Health * statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Students, Medical * psychology statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
- Iran MeSH
- Kenya MeSH
- Venezuela MeSH
OBJECTIVE: Medical students usually do not meet the recommendations on the minimum level of physical activity, despite knowing the impact that physical activity has on the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Medical students are considered to be insufficiently physically active. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of physically active fifth-year medical students at five universities in Serbia, as well as to identify factors associated with insufficient physical activity of students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in the population of fifth-year medical students from five different universities in Serbia. The research instrument was a questionnaire specially designed based on similar research. Descriptive and analytical statistics methods were used in statistical analysis. RESULTS: The study included a total of 573 fifth-year medical students from five universities in Serbia: 311 (54.3%) Belgrade; 86 (15.0%) Kragujevac; 58 (10.1%) Nis; 66 (11.5%) Kosovska Mitrovica; 52 (9.1%) Novi Sad. Insufficient physical activity was statistically significantly associated with studying at the University of Kosovska Mitrovica (OR = 3.98, 95% CI: 1.83-8.57). There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of anti-anxiety medications use in the last 12 months between students with sufficient and insufficient physical activity (p = 0.040) as well as in the average number of cigarettes smoked per day between students with sufficient and those with insufficient physical activity (2.82 ± 6.35 vs. 4.50 ± 8.29, p = 0.043). There was also a statistically significant difference in the average score on the Beck's depression scale between students with sufficient and students with insufficient physical activity (6.51 ± 6.59 vs. 10.03 ± 9.37, p < 0.001) and in the average score on Zung's anxiety scale (34.86 ± 8.18 vs. 38.07 ± 8.71, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: A high percentage of medical faculty students (86.6%) are physically active. Differences in the level of physical activity were observed between students of these five universities as well as between students with different levels of physical activity.
- MeSH
- Exercise * MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Mental Health * statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Prevalence MeSH
- Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
- Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
- Students, Medical * psychology statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Universities MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Serbia MeSH
- MeSH
- Physicians, Primary Care * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Primary Health Care economics MeSH
- Students, Medical psychology statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Interview MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
This study aimed to examine attitudes towards people with mental illness and psychiatry and interest in career choice in psychiatry among medical students from three medical schools in Czechia and Slovakia. A total of 495 medical students participated in a cross-sectional study. Participants completed (1) the Medical students' version of mental illness: clinicians' attitudes (MICA-2) scale, (2) the Reported and intended behaviour scale (RIBS), (3) the Attractiveness of working on a psychiatry-related position scale (P-ATTRACT), and (4) the Status of psychiatry scale (P-STATUS). Descriptive statistics, group comparisons and regression models were calculated. From 23 to 30% of students considered a specialization in psychiatry. However, only about 1% of them had a strong interest in psychiatry as a future career, moreover, students of higher years of study found psychiatry less attractive compared to those who are in the beginning of the study. The consideration of specialization in psychiatry was found to be statistically significantly associated with less stigmatizing attitudes and lower social distance towards people with mental illness. There were statistically significant differences in stigmatizing attitudes among medical schools, with a medical school emphasizing the education in psychiatry the most showing more positive attitudes. It is necessary to increase the interest in psychiatry and minimize stigma among medical students. Psychiatry curriculum in Central and Eastern European region should include more psychiatry-related courses, training in community and out-patient facilities, peer-lectors, and offer counselling after exposure to emotionally challenging clinical situations.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Mental Disorders * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Attitude of Health Personnel * MeSH
- Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
- Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
- Psychiatry education statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Students, Medical psychology statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Career Choice * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Geographicals
- Europe, Eastern MeSH
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to identify the differences in the use of HPV vaccination between female medical students in the Czech and Slovak Republics and their possible causes. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional survey among female students of general medicine in all faculties of medicine in the Czech and Slovak Republics. RESULTS: We obtained 630 questionnaires from the Czech Republic and 776 questionnaires from the Slovak Republic. In the Czech Republic, 65.4% of female medical students underwent HPV vaccination, while in the Slovak Republic, the figure was 21.1%. In the Czech Republic, residency and religion of students did not influence their rate of vaccination. However, in the Slovak Republic, village residency with less than 5,000 inhabitants lowered the probability of vaccination with OR = 0.56 (95% CI: 0.38-0.84), and the Catholic religion lowered the probability of vaccination with OR = 0.40 (95% CI: 0.28-0.57). Czech students were informed about the possibility of vaccination by a paediatrician in 55.7% of cases, while the figure for Slovak students was 26.8%. In the Czech Republic, 75.7% of students participated in regular cervical oncologic screening, while in the Slovak Republic, the figure was 57.7%. Vaccination of relatives would be recommended by 86.5% and 80.5% of Czech and Slovak students, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The adoption of an oncologic prevention programme and the more extensive propagation by paediatricians are probably the medical reasons for the higher HPV vaccination among Czech students. Demographic factors - village residency and religion - are also important.
- MeSH
- Papillomavirus Infections prevention & control MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
- Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
- Students, Medical psychology statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Vaccination psychology statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Papillomavirus Vaccines administration & dosage MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Comparative Study MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
- Slovakia MeSH
^^^svazků ; ilustrace ; 30 cm
Závěrečná zpráva z projektu, který se zabýval průzkumem subjektivního hodnocení kvality výuky a způsobilosti studentů medicíny v roce 2020 v Česku. Určeno odborné veřejnosti.
- MeSH
- Professional Competence MeSH
- Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
- Students, Medical statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Education, Medical statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Self Report MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
- Conspectus
- Vysoké školy
- NML Fields
- výchova a vzdělávání pracovníků ve zdravotnictví
- NML Publication type
- závěrečné zprávy
OBJECTIVE: In today's world, despite the numerous benefits, increasing demand for computer technology and the influence of widespread internet technology, many people, especially students, have faced impaired mental health and social relationships resulting from internet addiction; therefore, with regard to the contradictory results of preceding studies in the field of internet addiction, this study was designed to determine the prevalence of internet addiction in students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted on all students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. For data collection questionnaire and demographic profile of internet addiction test was used. RESULTS: The results showed that internet addiction is common among university students (t = 23.286, p < 0.001). Internet addiction is significantly different between males and females and more prevalent in the male users (t = 4.351, p = 0.001). The prevalence of internet addiction in various categories was 1.6% normal, 47.4% mild, 38.1% moderate, and 12.9% severe. Our analysis also showed a significantly higher proportion of senior students with severe internet addiction (16.4%) compared to junior students (χ2 = 30.964; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study it can be concluded that there is a considerable internet addiction in medical students, and to prevent risks and complications, health considerations and proper treatments seem to be necessary.
- MeSH
- Internet * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Behavior, Addictive epidemiology MeSH
- Prevalence MeSH
- Students, Medical psychology statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Iran MeSH
The main goals of this study included the assessment of the level of key competences and training needs of the prevention workforce in European countries, and the examination of participants' characteristic differences in assessing the key competences necessary for prevention work. METHOD: Altogether, 154 respondents from 26 countries completed the online questionnaire. Survey participants were identified via the PubMed database and via the snowball technique. Invitations to complete the survey were transmitted to the participants electronically or by phone. Descriptive analyses and non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon signedrank test and Kruskal-Wallis test) were used to analyze the survey data. RESULTS: The results indicated that basic knowledge of theoretical background and research findings showed the highest levels among the competences the prevention workforce currently possessed, while advocacy of quality prevention was the skill with the lowest perceived level among ten key competences. Comparison between the current levels of key competences and their desired levels suggested a significant gap between the knowledge/ skills gained and those needed in all areas of prevention work, especially in advocacy and funding. The results also indicated that job characteristics, especially job seniority, have some effects on the survey results. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the SPAN survey support the need to invest in prevention education/training. Priority in investment should be given to training prevention workers in advocacy of quality prevention and funding. The results imply that there is a need for the modernization of education in the field of prevention science in Europe.
- MeSH
- Data Interpretation, Statistical MeSH
- Quality of Health Care MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Professional Competence statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Preventive Medicine * statistics & numerical data education MeSH
- Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
- Preventive Health Services statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Students, Medical statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Education, Medical statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Educational Measurement * statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Occupations MeSH
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice MeSH
- Health Workforce * statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Self Report MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Evaluation Study MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Geographicals
- Europe MeSH
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the cross-sectional study was to evaluate cardiovascular risk factors in the group of medical students with gender, overweight and obesity categorisation. METHODS: Cross-sectional study included 364 medical students, 207 females and 157 males. We investigated anthropometric parameters, BMI, body fat percentage, WHR (waist-hip ratio), TCH (total cholesterol) and LDL-CH (LDL-cholesterol), SBP and DBP (systolic and diastolic blood pressure). The participants also completed questionnaires with socio-demographic characteristic, including smoking, unhealthy eating, self-perceived health, and physical activity status. Statistical analysis used t-test differences in arithmetic means and OR calculation with 95% CI. RESULTS: Prevalence of increased blood pressure (> SBP/DBP 120/80 mmHg) among participants was 10.99% (SBP) and 9.07% (DBP). The results confirmed risk of "overweight + obesity" in 15.38% (using BMI evaluation) versus 18.54% cases (using body fat percentage evaluation). The results of the study confirmed statistically higher risk for males compared to females in the following parameters: SBP, DBP, BMI, body fat percentage, self-perceived health, unhealthy eating and body weight watching. "Overweight and obesity" group (BMI evaluation) confirmed all factors on statistically significant level a risky group: SBP, DBP, body fat percentage, TCH, self-perceived health, smoking, stress at university, and body weight watching. The outputs confirmed, on the other hand, low amount of clinical obesity (0.8%), clinical hypertension (BP > 140/90) 1.1%, and clinically higher cholesterol level (TCH > 5.2 mmol/l) in 8.7% participants. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed higher prevalence or cardiovascular risk factors among males. Also, group of "overweight and obese" students had higher frequency of cardiovascular risk factors. Border limits for risk evaluation were strong, so on clinical level we can evaluate the group of medical students as healthy. In the group of young medical students, we confirmed lower frequency of risk factors compared to the Slovak population average.
- MeSH
- Cholesterol, HDL blood MeSH
- Body Mass Index MeSH
- Cardiovascular Diseases epidemiology physiopathology MeSH
- Blood Pressure physiology MeSH
- Cholesterol, LDL blood MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Obesity epidemiology MeSH
- Prevalence MeSH
- Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
- Risk Factors MeSH
- Students, Medical statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Body Weight physiology MeSH
- Body Constitution physiology MeSH
- Life Style * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Slovakia MeSH