Determinants of Alcohol Consumption among Medical Students: Results from POLLEK Cohort Study

Prevalence and determinants of overweight or obesity among medical students over a 2-year observation

Introduction

University students are a special population group characterized by changes in BMI values over the subsequent years of education, with an upward tendency to BMI. The presented study aims to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity and their determinants in medical students during the 2-year follow-up observation.

Materials and methods

We analyzed data collected from the first follow-up of the cohort study named "POLLEK" conducted among medical students at the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice. Students were followed at two points of time: in their inaugural year of studies (the academic year 2021/2022, T1, N = 427), and subsequently in their second year (the academic year 2022/2023, T2, N = 335).

Results

In the initial year of evaluation, 371 individuals (86.9%) exhibited normal body weight, 47 (11.0%) were overweight, and 9 (2.1%) were classified as obese. Subsequent assessments during the second year revealed the following distribution: 277 students (84.2%) with normal body weight, 40 (12.2%) classified as overweight, and 12 (3.6%) identified as obese. In summary, regardless of the academic year, an increased risk of being overweight or obese was significantly associated with dissatisfaction with personal health, financial strain, and a diet abundant in animal products.

Conclusion

The results of our study confirmed an increase in the prevalence of overweight or obesity among medical students during the 2-year follow-up observation. Significant determinants of overweight or obesity among medical students were: dissatisfaction with individual health status, male sex, financial deficiencies, and a diet abundant in meat consumption.

Evaluating Two Brief Motivational Interventions for Excessive-Drinking University Students

OBJECTIVE

Two brief computerized motivational interventions for excessive-drinking university students were evaluated.

METHOD

Participants (N = 88, females = 61.5%, mean age = 21.05 years) were randomly assigned to a control group or one of two experimental groups: Computerized Brief Intervention (CBI) or Computerized Brief Intervention-Enhanced (CBI-E). CBI followed the principles of Motivational Interviewing to motivate participants to change their drinking behavior. CBI-E additionally used the principles of Systematic Motivational Counseling to identify and discuss with participants their dysfunctional motivational patterns that were interfering with their attainment of emotional satisfaction. At baseline and a three-month follow-up, the participants completed a battery of measures of alcohol consumption and related problems.

RESULTS

At baseline, the participants were confirmed to be heavy drinkers with many drink-related negative consequences. Males and females responded differently to the interventions. During follow-up, males' alcohol use was ordered: CBI-E < CBI < Controls. The females in all three groups reduced their alcohol use, but there were no significant group differences.

CONCLUSIONS

Males responded to the interventions as expected. For females, the assessment itself seemed to serve as an effective intervention, and there were no post-intervention differences among the three groups. Suggestions for future research using CBI and CBI-E are discussed.

Gender differences in alcohol abuse/dependence among medical undergraduates during the post-COVID‑19 pandemic period (October 20, 2020-April 5, 2021) in China

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and the gender-specific risk factors of alcohol abuse/dependence among medical undergraduates during the post-COVID‑19 pandemic period in China.

METHOD

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) was used to identify respondents with alcohol abuse/dependence. A questionnaire on basic demographics and mental distresses (learning burnout, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, excessive daytime sleepiness, and history of mental disorders) was used. The logistic regression model was used to explore the associations between the above characteristics and alcohol abuse/dependence.

RESULTS

A total of 3,412 medical undergraduates were included in the analysis. Males showed a higher prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence than females (16.6% vs 7.4%, p < 0.001). Alcohol abuse/dependence was associated with learning burnout (OR: 2.168, p < 0.001) and having a partner (OR: 1.788 p = 0.001) among female medical undergraduates. Among male medical undergraduates, excessive daytime sleepiness (OR: 1.788 p = 0.001) and older age (OR: 1.788, p = 0.001) were independently associated with alcohol abuse/dependence.

CONCLUSION

Alcohol abuse/dependence was common among medical undergraduates during the post-COVID‑19 pandemic period. Substantial gender differences in the prevalence and risk factors of alcohol abuse/dependence were found among medical undergraduates in this study, which highlighted the need for timely gender-specific screening and interventions. However, the cross-sectional design adopted in this study has limited the examination of causality, thus further longitudinal studies are warranted.

Changes in alcohol consumption among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic - results from POLLEK study

OBJECTIVES

Social distancing and remote learning as one of the ways to fight against COVID-19 pandemic have affected universities and changed the lifestyle of many students. Psychoactive substances use was one of the way to deal with the anxiety caused by these new settings. Studies published so far have not provided a clear answer on whether COVID-19 leads to changes in the structure of alcohol consumption among medical students. The presented study attempted to answer this question based on the data available from the POLLEK study.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study group included 3 separate groups of medical students (recruited in the following academic years: 2019/2020, 2020/2021, and 2021/2022) with a total number of 899 students. To assess the characteristics of alcohol consumption the authors used a Polish version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT).

RESULTS

Students surveyed during the lockdown lived in the family home much more often, reported good health, and declared consumption of a smaller number of alcoholic beverages. Their AUDIT scores were statistically significantly (p = 0.04) lower compared to the group surveyed before the pandemic (5 vs. 6, respectively). There were no significant differences in the AUDIT results between other study periods.

CONCLUSIONS

Lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic might be associated with a decrease in alcohol intake among medical students. This may be due to a different place of residence of students, a family home rather than a dormitory. However, the debate on this topic seems to be still open. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(3):406-16.

General health and its relation to the quality of life and alcohol consumption in a Polish cohort of medical students - preliminary results of POLLEK survey

Introduction

First-year students of medicine are at higher risk of stress related to the new environment and study overload. Such factors can play a role and have an impact on their quality of life and general health status which can cause possible problems with alcohol use. The aim of the study is to assess the relationship between mentioned factors in the Polish cohort of first-year medical students.

Materials and methods

The quality of life has been assessed within the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, the general health status was assessed via GHQ28, and alcohol consumption was assessed the by AUDIT questionnaire. Due to the lack of signature informed consent and lack of data, 381 (72%) students out of 525 were included in the final analysis.

Result

The majority of the 1-year students were females 68%; (n = 259) vs. 32% (n = 122) males. Half of the students had lowered risk of distress. However, females had a higher risk of having higher scores in GHQ-28 than males. In relation to the assessment of the quality of life, the students with a lower level of distress (<32 points in GHQ-28) had better results in each WHOQOL domain. There was no association between general health status and alcohol use. For the students who had possible problems with alcohol use the OR was 1.15 95% CI (0.73-1.80) and for students who were probably addicted OR was 1.07 95% CI (0.33-3.41).

Conclusion

The total quality of life in first-year Polish medical students is relatively high; however, half of them suffer because of distress and around 30% have some alcohol problems. Females are more likely to have higher GHQ-28 scores than males.

Physical Fitness, Nutrition and Quality of Life in German Medical Students

BACKGROUND

Medical students are exposed to high cognitive demands as well as to a high learning effort, which as a consequence can lead to a limited quality of life (Qol) with reduced physical performance and unhealthy eating behaviors. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the abovementioned factors and their relationship to each other.

METHODS

We included 380 medical students (167 men, 213 women, age 22.2 ± 3.9 yrs) who participated in the sports medicine elective subject. Qol was measured with the SF-36 questionnaire, and endurance capacity was measured by using an incremental running test. Daily dietary intake was measured using a 7-day diary protocol. Depending on sex and the maximum speed achieved, students were divided into three performance groups.

RESULTS

Men achieved higher maximal speed, heart rate, and lactate. Carbohydrates and fat intake did not meet recommendations in either group. Dietary fibre intake differed significantly between the performance groups in men and women, with the better groups having higher intakes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data do not suggest increased risk or health-damaging behaviors in medical students compared with the general population. Irrespective of this, incentives should be set to enable a healthy life even during complex studies with a high learning effort.

Substance Use among Adolescents: A Retrospective Study (2017-2018) in the Toxicology Unit, University Hospital of Lille, France

Research on adolescent substance use is of utmost importance. Using local toxicological data, both prevalence and pattern of substance use (SU) and substance-related death (SRD) can be assessed to design effective prevention programs. A retrospective study of toxicology investigations of all adolescents referred to the medico-legal section of the Toxicology Unit of the University Hospital of Lille, France, for a 2-year period from 2017 to 2018. In the total sample of 1961 cases, adolescents accounted for 3.3% of the cases (n = 65). Among the adolescents, 16.9% were aged 10−14 years and 83.1% were aged >14−19 years. About 69.2% were males. Less than 70% of all presented adolescents used substances. More than two-thirds (74%) of positive detections were male. Illicit substances (43%) were the most detected substance followed by alcohol (20%) and prescription substances (20%). Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was extremely common as it was found in 29% of all adolescents. Cocaine and amphetamines were detected in 13.8% of total tested adolescents. Polysubstance use was common between alcohol and THC and among males. About one-third of deaths were due to substance use. About 54% of SRD was associated with polysubstance detection. It is recommended that illicit substances, ethanol, and prescription substances are targeted for testing among adolescents in order to provide appropriate prevention.

Nomogram reliability for predicting potential risk in postgraduate medical students with anxiety symptoms

Purpose

This research aims to develop a Nomogram for exact anxiety symptoms prediction in postgraduate medical students so that they may be identified as high-risk individuals early and get focused care.

Methods

Using a convenient sampling method, for case-control matching, 126 participants with anxiety symptoms and 774 participants of the same age and gender but without anxiety symptoms were designated as the case group and control group, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was utilized to identify influencing factors for anxiety symptoms, then used to design and verify a Nomogram of anxiety symptoms.

Results

Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lack of social support (OR = 0.95, 95%CI: 0.91-0.99), low life satisfaction (OR = 0.91, 95%CI: 0.86-0.95), low subjective well-being (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.41-0.83) and frequent tobacco and alcohol use (OR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.10-2.80) were independent predictors of anxiety symptoms in postgraduate medical students (P < 0.05). The Nomogram risk prediction model based on the above four independent prediction factors was established, and the verified C-index (Concordance index) is 0.787 (95%CI: 0.744-0.803, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Anxiety symptoms in postgraduate medical students are influenced by various variables. The Nomogram prediction model has high accuracy, validity, and reliability, which can provide reference for predicting anxiety symptoms in postgraduate medical students.

The Association between COVID-19 Pandemic and the Quality of Life of Medical Students in Silesian Voivodeship, Poland

(1) Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic spread rapidly in 2020, medical universities have been affected by a particular crisis. Due to the increased risk of SARS CoV-2 transmission, the authorities of medical faculties all over the world, including Poland, started to minimize direct contact between students. The objective of the paper is to identify and assess determinants of the quality of life among medical students in Poland before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: We analyzed data obtained in a cross-sectional study performed among three groups of students tested in three consecutive research periods: period before the COVID-19 pandemic, the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period and the COVID-19 pandemic period following lockdown. (3) Results: The total number of participants was 1098. We identified that the research period before the COVID-19 pandemic was the risk factor for lower quality of life in terms of the somatic and environmental domains. It was also confirmed that determinants such as poor financial situation, low frequency of physical activity and bad self-declared health status harmed the QoL scores in all domains. (4) Conclusions: The obtained results confirmed that better financial situation, higher physical activity and better self-declared health status were statistically significant factors improving the quality of life of first-year medical students in Poland. The findings of our study also showed that the declared somatic and environmental domains of QoL among medical students were better during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Our observations confirmed that the immediate implementation of e-learning could protect against the deterioration of mental health and quality of life in first-year medical students during possible future epidemic crises.

PaLS Study: Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Usage among Polish University Students in the Context of Stress Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and imposed restrictions were strong stress factors for young people, especially students. Increased alcohol consumption, smoking cigarettes, usage of heated tobacco products, and other stimulants are common methods of coping with anxiety. However, they can have serious negative health effects. A survey consisting of 12 questions related to mental health and psychoactive substance taking habits was distributed among Polish students between 22 February 2021 and 3 April 2021. A total of 1323 participants met all inclusion criteria (nfemales = 1021, nmales = 297, nother gender = 5). The mean age was 22 years old (±4.17); 47.62% were medical university students. A total of 71.92% reported negative impact, 8.25% did not notice changes, and 12.58% declared a positive pandemic impact on their mental health. A total of 12.58% declared an increase, 70.22% did not see any differences, and 17.20% reported a decrease in their psychoactive substance usage tendency due to the pandemic. Worse perceived psychologic well-being was correlated with a higher tendency to use tobacco (p < 0.001) and alcohol (p < 0.001), and not with marijuana and products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (p = 0.136), and hard drugs (p = 0.799). The majority of participants declared a negative pandemic impact on mental health and did not report significant changes in psychoactive substance taking habits. Medical personnel should be aware of the current situation and apply for proper prevention and treatment programs.

Alcohol Use Disorders among Slovak and Czech University Students: A Closer Look at Tobacco Use, Cannabis Use and Socio-Demographic Characteristics

The main objective of the research was to examine the associations between problematic alcohol use, tobacco use and cannabis use among Czech and Slovak university students during the early COVID-19 pandemic. The research sample consisted of 1422 participants from the Czech Republic (CZ) and 1677 from the Slovak Republic (SK). The analyses included university students who drank alcohol in the past year (CZ: 1323 (93%); SK: 1526 (91%)). Regarding the analysed measures, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and its subscales, the Glover-Nilsson Smoking Behavioral Questionnaire (GN-SBQ) and the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST) were selected to identify substance-related behaviour. Age, gender and residence were included in the analyses as socio-demographic variables. Correlation and regression analyses were used to achieve the main objective of the research. The main results revealed that the use of tobacco and cannabis were positively associated with alcohol use disorders among Czech and Slovak university students. Additionally, males were more likely to report alcohol use disorders. In the Czech Republic, it was found that students living in dormitories were characterized by a lower AUDIT score. The opposite situation was found in the Slovak Republic. Czech and Slovak policy-makers are encouraged to develop alcohol use prevention programs for university students in line with these findings.