Assessing the Impacts of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Perceived Stress Among Undergraduate Medical Students in Pakistan: a Cross-Sectional Study
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 291
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Mental Health Status of Undergraduate Medical Students
研究概览
简要总结
Brief Summary
The goal of this observational study is to understand how physical activity affects mental health and perceived stress in undergraduate medical students in Pakistan. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does physical activity improve the mental health of medical students? Does physical activity lower the stress levels of medical students?
Researchers will compare students who engage in physical activity to those who do not to see if physical activity improves their mental health and reduces stress.
Participants will:
Complete surveys about their mental health and perceived stress. Report their physical activity levels, including how often they exercise and for how long.
This study will help identify how lifestyle changes, like exercising, can improve the well-being of medical students and potentially reduce the challenges they face during their education.
详细描述
Detailed Description
This observational, cross-sectional study investigates the relationship between physical activity and its effects on mental health and perceived stress among undergraduate medical students in Pakistan. The study aims to determine whether engaging in regular physical activity can improve psychological well-being and reduce perceived stress in this population, which is known to face significant academic and personal stressors during their medical education.
Study Objectives and Rationale
Medical students encounter a variety of stressors, including demanding coursework, clinical responsibilities, and personal challenges. This study aims to provide a quantitative assessment of how physical activity can mitigate these stressors and improve mental health outcomes. It hypothesizes that students engaging in higher levels of physical activity will exhibit better mental health and lower perceived stress.
Study Design and Methodology
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Observational
- 观察模型
- Cohort
- 时间视角
- Cross Sectional
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 30 Years（Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Undergraduate medical students from any academic year.
- •Students who are willing to participate and provide informed consent.
- •Students who engage in physical activity (any frequency or duration) within the last month
排除标准
- •Students who do not provide informed consent.
- •Students with physical disabilities or medical conditions that prevent participation in physical activity (e.g., severe cardiovascular conditions, musculoskeletal disorders).
- •Students with a diagnosed mental health disorder that may interfere with the study's focus on stress and mental health (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder).
- •Students with language barriers.
结局指标
主要结局
Mental Health Status of Undergraduate Medical Students
时间窗: Data have been collected once during the survey period, which spans from February 2 to October 2, 2024.
The primary outcome measure is to assess the mental health status of undergraduate medical students using the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), which assesses psychological distress across three subscales: anxiety, depression, and somatization. The BSI-18 uses a 5-point Likert scale, where 0 = "not at all" and 4 = "extremely," to measure each symptom's intensity. The Global Severity Index (GSI) is calculated from the total score across all subscales, with higher scores indicating higher distress. The subscale scores for anxiety, depression, and somatization range from 0 to 24, where higher scores reflect greater psychological discomfort. Minimum value: 0 (indicating no distress)Maximum value: 24 (indicating extreme distress) In addition to raw scores, the BSI-18 also provides T-scores (mean = 50, SD = 10) for each subscale, allowing for comparison across populations regardless of their distribution. Higher T-scores indicate more significant distress.
次要结局
- Perceived Stress Levels among Undergraduate Medical Students.(Data have been collected once during the survey period, which spans from February 2 to October 2, 2024.)
研究者
Nazeer Ahmed
Final year medical student
Rawalpindi Medical College