The effect of COVID-19 on medical students’ education and wellbeing: a cross-sectional survey

Background: Canadian medical school curriculums have undergone major restructuring during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study’s goal was to assess the perceived impact of COVID-19 on medical students’ education and wellbeing. Methods: An online survey was distributed to Canadian medical students. Descriptive analyses and ANOVAs were used to assess changes in mental health, health habits and quality of education during the pandemic. Results: 248 medical students from 13 schools across Canada participated in this study. 74% reported a reduction in the quality of their education since COVID-19. 58% of students found online to be inferior to in-person teaching. 65% of students had more time for wellness and leisure activities, about half of the cohort felt more depressed (48%) and lonelier (52%). Student’s overall health habits worsened after the start of the pandemic (F=37.4, p < 0.001). Alcohol drinking, time spent seated, and screen time also increased since the pandemic (p < 0.001). During the pandemic, students with a prior history of depression or anxiety expressed increased depressive symptoms (66% vs. 42%, p =0.003), increased anxiety (69% vs. 41%, p < 0001), worse sleep quality (34% vs. 18%, p = 0.031), and poorer quality of life (55% vs. 65%, p = 0.024) versus those with no prior history. Conclusion: Canadian medical student’s education and wellbeing has been negatively impacted during the pandemic.

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Resilience, well-being, depression symptoms and concussion levels in equestrian athletes

Journal of Public Mental Health ◽

10.1108/jpmh-08-2020-0110 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Annika McGivern ◽

Stephen Shannon ◽

Gavin Breslin

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

History Of

Purpose This paper aims to conduct the first cross-sectional survey on depression, Resilience, well-being, depression symptoms and concussion levels in equestrian athletes and to assess whether past concussion rates were associated with depression, resilience and well-being. Design/methodology/approach In total, 511 participants from Canada, Republic of Ireland, UK, Australia and USA took part in an international cross-sectional, online survey evaluating concussion history, depression symptoms, resilience and well-being. Findings In total, 27.1% of athletes met clinically relevant symptoms of major depressive disorder. Significant differences were shown in the well-being and resilience scores between countries. Significant relationships were observed between reported history of concussion and both high depression scores and low well-being scores. Practical implications Findings highlight the need for mental health promotion and support in equestrian sport. Social implications Results support previous research suggesting a need for enhanced mental health support for equestrians. There is reason to believe that mental illness could still be present in riders with normal levels of resilience and well-being. Originality/value This study examined an understudied athlete group: equestrian athletes and presents important findings with implications for the physical and mental health of this population.

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The Investigation of Tramadol Dependence with No History of Substance Abuse: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Spontaneously Reported Cases in Guangzhou City, China

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2013/283425 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Haoran Zhang ◽

Zhimin Liu

Keyword(s):

Substance Abuse ◽

Physical Dependence ◽

Abuse Potential ◽

Opiate Withdrawal ◽

Control Group ◽

Prior History ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Healthy Men ◽

History Of

The study was to survey and assess the drug dependence and abuse potential of tramadol with no history of substance abuse. Subjects of tramadol dependence with no prior history of substance abuse were surveyed by interview. Physical dependence of tramadol was assessed using 10 items opiate withdrawal scale (OWS), and psychological dependence was assessed by Addiction Research Center Inventory—Chinese Version (ARCI-CV). Twenty-three male subjects (the median age was23.4±4.1years) referred to the addiction unit in Medical Hospital of Guangzhou with tramadol abuse problems were included in this cross-sectional study. The control group included 87 heroin addicts, 60 methamphetamine (MA) abusers, and 50 healthy men. The scores of OWS of tramadol were 0.83–2.30; the mean scores of identifying euphoric effects–MBG, sedative effects–PCAG, and psychotomimetic effects–LSD of ARCI were8.96±3.08,6.52±3.25, and6.65±2.50, respectively,F= 4.927,P<0.001. Scores of MBG scale in tramadol did not differ from those in heroin and MA groups (P>0.05) but were higher than those in healthy men (P<0.05). Tramadol with no history of substance abuse has a clear risk of producing high abuse potential under the long-term infrequent abuse and the high doses.

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What medical students think about measurement of their wellbeing and the implications for pastoral support: cross sectional survey and qualitative interviews

10.1101/2021.08.24.21262526 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gemma Simons ◽

Raymond Effah ◽

David Baldwin

Keyword(s):

Medical Student ◽

Medical Students ◽

Online Survey ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Teaching Quality ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

National Medical ◽

The Individual

Objectives To find out how, why and when medical students think wellbeing should be measured. Design A mixed methods study comprising a cross-sectional online survey (November 2020-March 2021) and semi-structured on-line interviews. Views on the frequency of availability for measurement, the format, type and purpose of measurement, and with whom wellbeing should be discussed were measured. When an outcome was scored 7-9 on a 9-point Likert scale of agreement by ≥75% of participants it was considered critical, in line with COMET and GRADE processes for rating recommendations. Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken on the interview transcripts by two independent researchers. Setting All Medicine programmes at University of Southampton. Participants Medical students from all years took part in the survey (n=118) and interviews (n=16). Results Participant demographics were similar to national medical student demographics. Most participants (94%) felt able to give 5 minutes to measure their wellbeing at least once a month. No single format of measurement was rated critical. Research, governance and individual feedback all reached the 75% threshold for the purpose being considered critically important. Only subjective assessments undertaken by the individual in real-time were rated as critically important (78.1%) measurement tools. Students selected that they would discuss their wellbeing with other medical students (n=87) nearly as often as they selected a member of the Faculty (n=104). Top determinants of wellbeing picked by medical students were energy, ability to do activities of daily living, and negative feelings. Five interview themes further explained these findings. Conclusions Five recommendations about self-care teaching, quality-assured pastoral and peer support, proactive wellbeing check-ins and demographic data are discussed in light of these findings. Methods to achieve them are suggested, which are medical student-centred, and which make use of existing resources.

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Medical Students’ Attitudes Towards Cardiothoracic Surgery in the United Kingdom: A Cross-Sectional Survey of 1675 Students

Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development ◽

10.1177/23821205211072722 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. 238212052110727

Author(s):

Samiullah Dost ◽

Lana Al-Nusair ◽

Mai Shehab ◽

Arwa Hagana ◽

Aleena Hossain ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Extracurricular Activities ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Cardiothoracic Surgery ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

Survey Responses

Objectives The objectives of this study were the following: (i) assess interest levels in cardiothoracic surgery (CTS) among UK-based medical students, (ii) identify potential motivators and barriers to pursuing CTS training, (iii) explore the influence of gender on interest in CTS in greater depth. Methods Medical students from all year groups across UK medical schools were invited to participate in a cross-sectional, national online survey. Responses were collected from 02/12/2019 to 08/12/2019. Results 1675 medical students from 31 UK medical schools responded, with an estimated 5.3% response rate. Of the respondents, 33.7% respondents reported having exposure to CTS, primarily through their medical school or through extracurricular activities (48.4% and 38.8%, respectively). When assessing interest in CTS, 31.4% were interested in undertaking a career in CTS, with a larger proportion of students expressing interest with no exposure to CTS than those with exposure. However, interest in pursuing CTS decreased with exposure as medical students transitioned from pre-clinical to clinical stages. Additionally, male participants were more interested in seeking a CTS post than their female counterparts (38% vs. 27.6%). The length of training ( p = 0.0009) and competitive nature ( p < 0.0001) of gaining a CTS post were the primary deterring factor for female participants, compared to their male counterparts. Conclusions This study shows the importance of quality of exposure and its impact on students’ interests in pursuing a career in CTS. The negative relationship between exposure and interest in CTS can be associated with the realisation of the challenges that come with pursuing CTS.

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Urinary Incontinence in Competitive Women Powerlifters: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Sports Medicine - Open ◽

10.1186/s40798-021-00387-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lolita Wikander ◽

Marilynne N. Kirshbaum ◽

Nasreena Waheed ◽

Daniel E. Gahreman

Keyword(s):

Urinary Incontinence ◽

Pelvic Floor ◽

Online Survey ◽

Severity Index ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Pelvic Floor Exercises ◽

Body Mass Index Score

Abstract Background Urinary incontinence (UI) can negatively affect a woman’s quality of life, participation in sport and athletic performance. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of UI in competitive women powerlifters; identify possible risk factors and activities likely to provoke UI; and establish self-care practices. Methods This international cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey completed by 480 competitive women powerlifters aged between 20 and 71 years. The Incontinence Severity Index (ISI) was used to determine the severity of UI. Results We found that 43.9% of women had experienced UI within the three months prior to this study. The deadlift was the most likely, and the bench-press the least likely exercise to provoke UI. ISI scores were positively correlated with parity (τ = 0.227, p < 0.001), age (τ = 0.179, p < 0.001), competition total (τ = 0.105, p = 0.002) and body mass index score (τ = 0.089, p = 0.009). There was no significant correlation between ISI and years strength training (τ = − 0.052, p = 0.147) or years powerlifting (τ = 0.041, p = 0.275). There was a negative correlation between ISI score with having a pelvic floor assessment (η = 0.197), and the ability to correctly perform pelvic floor exercises (η = 0.172). Conclusion The prevalence of UI in this cohort was at the upper limit experienced by women in the general population. Women who had undergone a pelvic floor examination or were confident in correctly performing pelvic floor exercises experienced less severe UI.

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One Snake or Two? Exploring Medical Symbols Among Medical Students

Acta Medica Martiniana ◽

10.2478/acm-2019-0011 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 78-87

Author(s):

Kazeem Kanmodi Kehinde ◽

Adebayo Oladimeji ◽

Ayomikun Adesina Miracle ◽

Francis Fagbule Omotayo ◽

Emerenini Franklin

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Medical Society ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Orthodox Medicine ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

North West ◽

The Public ◽

History Of ◽

The Mean

Abstract Background: Symbols play a very crucial role in the culture of a society, and the medical society is not an exception to this. In the world of Orthodox medicine, the Rod of Asclepius is regarded as the true symbol of medicine. However, there exists to be an issue of interchange of the correct medical symbol (i.e. Rod of Asclepius) with another similar symbol (i.e. the Caduceus). This study aims to explore medical students’ knowledge and opinion on the appropriate symbol of medicine. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey of 84 medical students at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University (UDU), North-West Nigeria. Study tool was a paper questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using the Epi info 7 Software. Results: The mean (±SD) age of the participants was 23.7 (±3.4) years, 72.6% were males, and 73.8% were in their 4th year. Only 59.5% had interest in non-medical literature. Also, only 6.0% had doctors as their parents. The majority (88.1%) of the participants erroneously identified the Caduceus symbol as the most appropriate symbol of medicine. Furthermore, only 45.2% indicated that the Rod of Asclepius and the Caduceus symbols originated from ancient Greece. Virtually all (97.6%) the participants opined that the Caduceus symbol is the most popular symbol of Medicine. Finally, the majority (73.8%) of the participants recommended that a course on the History of Medicine should be added to the medical curriculum of their school. Conclusion: This study found that the majority of the surveyed medical students did not know much about the historically correct medical symbol. This shows the need for awareness creation on the true symbol of medicine among medical students, and even the public-at-large.

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Factors Associated with Depression and Anxiety in the Adult Population of Qatar in the First Year of the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from an Online Survey

10.21203/rs.3.rs-729213/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Salma M. Khaled ◽

Iman Amro ◽

Lina Bader ◽

Peter Woodruff ◽

Majid A Alabdulla ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Online Survey ◽

Adult Population ◽

Prior History ◽

First Year ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Potential Risk Factors ◽

History Of

Abstract Background: There is limited data from Arabic-speaking countries on risk factors for depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Country-specific data is necessary given differences in culture, demographics, COVID-19 infection and mortality rates.Aim: To identify factors associated with symptoms of depression-anxiety in the adult population of Qatar during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.Method: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey in Qatar between July and December 2020 after the first COVID-19 wave and before the beginning of the second wave. Depression-anxiety was defined as a cut-off of 20 or higher on the PHQ-ADS scale. Results: Of 1138 participants, 71.05% were female, 69.0% Arabs, and 70.0% Non-Qataris. 77% were < 40 years (the median age in Qatar is 32 years). In a fully-adjusted model, six variables were significantly associated with PHQ-ADS; Arab ethnicity (OR=1.67, p=0.026), never married (OR=2.04, p < 0.001 (versus married), prior history of psychiatric disorder (versus no history) (OR=1.76, p=0.039), increased worries due to social media use for COVID-related news/updates (OR=1.72, p=0.003), those with a history of COVID-19 (OR=1.76, p=0.039), loneliness (OR=1.91, p < 0.001), and lower levels of religiosity (OR=0.96, p=0.039). These associations also pertained in the reduced model, with exception of religiosity which was only marginally statistically significant (OR=0.97, p=0.055).Conclusions: The potential risk factors identified may assist with anxiety and depression prevention in future COVID-19 waves, and similar crises, and assist with early intervention to treat sufferers.

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What Motivates Medical Students to Engage in Volunteer Behavior During the COVID-19 Outbreak? A Large Cross-Sectional Survey

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2020.569765 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Yu Shi ◽

Shu-e Zhang ◽

Lihua Fan ◽

Tao Sun

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Health System ◽

Online Survey ◽

Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Full Time ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Prosocial Motivation ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

After the COVID-19 outbreak, the health status of the general population has suffered a huge threat, and the health system has also encountered great challenges. As critical members of human capital in the health sector, medical students with specialized knowledge and skills have positively fought against the epidemic by providing volunteer services that boosted the resilience of the health system. Although volunteer behavior (VB) is associated with individual internal motivation, there is sparse evidence on this relationship among medical students, especially regarding potential mechanisms. Therefore, this study had two main objectives: (1) to examine the influence of prosocial motivation (PM) of medical students on their VB; and (2) to verify the chain-mediating role of calling and vocation (CV) as well as social responsibility (SR) in the relationship between PM and VB. Study I: a total of 2454 Chinese full-time medical students were invited to complete an online survey. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression analysis. The results demonstrated that PM significantly affected VB in medical students (β = 0.098, P < 0.001); CV as well as SR chain-mediated the relationship between PM and VB (β = 0.084, P < 0.001). PM promoted the formation of SR by positively evoking CV of medical students, further resulting in increased VB. Study II: A 28 person qualitative interview was conducted. Qualitative data are added to reduce the limitations of online questionnaires. At the same time, we can also critically study the VB of Chinese medical students during COVID-19. The results showed that there were various reasons for medical students to volunteer in the process of fighting against COVID-19, and the experience of volunteer service and the impact on their future life were different. Lastly, the current findings suggest that fostering volunteerism among medical students requires the joint effort of the government, non-profit organizations, and medical colleges.

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New Zealand Medical Students Have Positive Attitudes and Moderate Confidence in Providing Nutrition Care: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Journal of Biomedical Education ◽

10.1155/2015/259653 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Jennifer Crowley ◽

Lauren Ball ◽

Dug Yeo Han ◽

Bruce Arroll ◽

Michael Leveritt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Medical Students ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Nutrition Care ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

Inadequate Nutrition

Throughout the world, medical students and doctors report inadequate nutrition education and subsequently lack of knowledge, attitude, and skills to include nutrition in patient care. This study described New Zealand’s students’ attitudes to and self-perceived skills in providing nutrition care in practice as well as perceived quantity and quality of nutrition education received in training. 183 medical students from New Zealand’s largest medical school (response rate 52%) completed a 65-item questionnaire, partially validated, using 5-point Likert scales. Students believed incorporating nutrition care into practice is important, yet they were less confident patients improve nutrition behaviours after receiving this care. Students were confident in skills related to nutrition in health and disease but less confident in skills related to general food knowledge. Greater quantity and quality of nutrition education received was associated with greater self-perceived skills in providing nutrition care to patients but not with attitudes towards incorporating nutrition care into practice. This cohort of New Zealand medical students places similarly high importance on nutrition care as students and doctors from other countries. Further investigations beyond graduation are required to inform whether additional nutrition education is warranted for these doctors.

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Awareness and Attitudes towards Advance Care Directives (ACDs): An Online Survey of Portuguese Adults

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9060648 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 648

Author(s):

Carlos Laranjeira ◽

Maria dos Anjos Dixe ◽

Luís Gueifão ◽

Lina Caetano ◽

Rui Passadouro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Advance Care Directives ◽

Advance Care ◽

Advance Decisions ◽

Eol Care

(1) Background: Evidence shows that facilitated advance decisions can increase the number of meaningful and valid Advance Care Directives (ACDs) and improve the quality of care when End-Of-Life (EOL) is near. Little is known about the awareness and attitudes of Portuguese adults towards ACDs. The present study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and preferences of a sample of Portuguese adults regarding EOL care decisions and ACDs. (2) Methods: A total of 1024 adults were assessed with an online cross-sectional survey collecting information on sociodemographic factors, knowledge, attitudes and preferences regarding advance decisions and EOL care. (3) Results: Participants had a mean age of 40.28 ± 11.41 years. Most were female and had a professional background related to healthcare. While 76.37% of participants had heard of ACDs, only a small percentage (2.34%) had actually ever made an ACD. Knowledge levels were weakly correlated with attitudes regarding ACDs (r = −0.344; p < 0.01). (4) Conclusions: Participants lacked a comprehensive understanding about ACDs, but revealed positive attitudes towards their use and usefulness. Further research can inform efforts to improve ACD engagement in this population. The discussion about ACDs should be part of health promotion education with a focus on planning for a comfortable and peaceful death.

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