Health-related quality of life among Indian students at Yerevan State Medical University, Armenia : a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Medical training is a long and emotionally challenging process. During their studies, medical students experience a large volume of lessons, lack of time for social activities, and direct encounter with hospitals, including contact with severe disease and death, all of which might introduce health hazards to students. Several authors reported that Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) among medical students is lower when compared to the same age non-medical students and the general population. While the number of studies evaluating health outcomes of medical students has been growing worldwide, there have been no investigations that would include comprehensive measurement of HRQoL among students in Armenia. The present study objective was to assess the level of HRQoL among Indian medical students studying at Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU) in Armenia and explore factors associated with their HRQoL. The cross-sectional survey with the self-administered questionnaire was conducted. Medical students were selected using convenience sampling. The sample size was 353. To measure the outcome variable SF-36 questionnaire was used. For socio-demographic variables, questionnaires from previous studies were used. Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) measured the level of social support among students. The participants’ mean age was 21.34 years. Males constituted the majority of the participants (56%). Most of the participants were living at dormitory with their friends (73%). The mean score for HRQoL was 63.25 (SD=15.15), while the mean scores of mental and physical components were 60.22 (SD=19.24) and 66.29 (SD=16.19), respectively. In the adjusted analysis, gender, average academic mark, adequate pocket money, the presence of chronic disease and receiving social support were significantly (p-value < 0.05) associated with a physical component of the HRQoL score. Average academic mark, physical activity, the presence of chronic disease and receiving social support were significantly (p-value < 0.05) associated with a mental component of the HRQoL score. This study assessed the HRQoL of Indian medical students at YSMU, Armenia and identified several associated risk factors, which could consider when developing strategies to improve the students’ well-being. The interventions should focus on enhancing social support and promoting physical activity among students, with special focus on female students and those with health issues. Future studies should employ qualitative methods to obtain more information about mental and physical challenges faced by the medical students during their study years.