Advanced
search

To read this content please select one of the options below:

Lifestyle behaviors and mental health in medical students

Houda Ben Ayed (Community Health and Epidemiology Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia)
Sourour Yaich (Community Health and Epidemiology Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia)
Maissa Ben Jemaa (Community Health and Epidemiology Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia)
Mariem Ben Hmida (Community Health and Epidemiology Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia)
Maroua Trigui (Preventive Medicine and Hygiene Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia)
Jihene Jedidi (Community Health and Epidemiology Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia)
Raouf Karray (Community Health and Epidemiology Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia)
Yosra Mejdoub (Community Health and Epidemiology Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia)
Habib Feki (Preventive Medicine and Hygiene Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia)
Mondher Kassis (Community Health and Epidemiology Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia)
Jamel Damak (Community Health and Epidemiology Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia)

Journal of Public Mental Health

ISSN: 1746-5729

Article publication date: 31 October 2018

Issue publication date: 22 November 2018

462

Abstract

Purpose

Recently, there has been a renewed interest in medical students’ mental health. The purpose of this paper is to determine factors associated with psychological distress in medical students and to assess the correlation between major lifestyle behaviours and mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey among 530 medical students randomized from a faculty of medicine in 2017. The authors used the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Simple Lifestyle Indicator Questionnaire (SLIQ) to assess mental health and lifestyle, respectively.

Findings

The mean value of GHQ-12 and SLIQ were 4.1±2.8 and 6.2±1.4, respectively. Bivariate correlation analysis showed that SLIQ was significantly correlated to GHQ-12 (r=−0.26; p<0.001). The prevalence of psychological distress (GHQ-12=4) was 50.1%. The authors found that low/middle financial situation of the family (OR=1.5; CI 95%=[1.1–2.3]), internship level, (OR=1.8; CI 95%=[1.1–3.3]), medium/poor perceived academic performance (OR=2.2; CI 95%=[1.5–3.2]) and medium/poor perceived health status (OR=2.3; CI 95%=[1.5–3.6]) were significantly associated with psychological distress. Multivariate analysis performing logistic regression showed that average and unhealthy lifestyle were independently associated with psychological distress, with an adjusted OR of 3.7 (CI 95%=[1.7–7.7]) and 5.8 (CI 95%=[2.4–14.8]), respectively.

Originality/value

The study highlighted the magnitude and the risk factors of psychological distress in medical students. Unhealthy lifestyle was a potential predictive of mental disorders. These findings provide fundamental information for future researches.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Houda Ben Ayed, Maroua Trigui, Mariem Ben Hmida, Jihène Jedidi and Maissa Ben Jemaa: substantial contribution to conception and design of the study, to data acquisition, or to data analysis and interpretation. Houda Ben Ayed, Maroua Trigui and Maissa Ben Jemaa wrote the paper and/or revised the paper for important intellectual content. Houda Ben Ayed, Raouf Karray, Yosra Mejdoub, Mondher Kassis, Habib Feki, Sourour Yaich and Jamel Damak read and approved the final version of the submitted manuscript. All Authors revised the manuscript and gave their contribution to improve the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Citation

Ben Ayed, H., Yaich, S., Ben Jemaa, M., Ben Hmida, M., Trigui, M., Jedidi, J., Karray, R., Mejdoub, Y., Feki, H., Kassis, M. and Damak, J. (2018), "Lifestyle behaviors and mental health in medical students", Journal of Public Mental Health, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 210-217. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-07-2018-0039

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles

Manage cookies

We’re listening — tell us what you think

Join us on our journey