gms | German Medical Science

Research in Medical Education – Chances and Challenges International Conference

20.05. - 22.05.2009, Heidelberg

Health Behaviour of Medical Students of Dresden University of Technology and Consequences for their Educational Trainings

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author presenting/speaker Karen Voigt - University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus of the Dresden, University of Technology, Department of General Medicine/Medical Clinic III, Dresden, Germany
  • author Anne Göbel - University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus of the Dresden, University of Technology, Department of General Medicine/Medical Clinic III, Dresden, Germany
  • author Joachim Kugler - Medical Faculty of the Dresden, University of Technology, Chair of Health Sciences/Public Health, Institute for Medical Informatics and Biometry, Dresden, Germany
  • author Stefan R. Bornstein - Medical Faculty of the Dresden, University of Technology, Medical Clinic III, Dresden, Germany

Research in Medical Education - Chances and Challenges 2009. Heidelberg, 20.-22.05.2009. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2009. Doc09rmeC5

doi: 10.3205/09rme15, urn:nbn:de:0183-09rme158

Published: May 5, 2009

© 2009 Voigt et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Abstract

Question: The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency and to quantify the consumption of alcohol, cigarettes and illegal substances among medical students and derive conclusions for educational trainings of medical students.

Methods: A cross-sectional study based on an anonymous written questionnaire using standardized questions was conducted with medical students of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd academic years from the Medical Faculty of the Dresden University of Technology (Saxony). The response rates ranged at 61 % (n = 298).

Results: The majority of drank alcohol weekly. The median of daily alcohol consumption (g/d) ranged between 5.02 (female students) to 13.66 (male students). χ˛-Tests confirmed a significant (p < 0.05) gender-related difference according hazardous and harmful drinking. The majority of medical students (78.5 %) were non-smokers. Females were significantly more non-smokers than males (χ˛/p < 0.05). 66% of the students showed abstinence towards illegal substances. Significantly (χ˛/p < 0.001) more male than female medical students showed one-time or repeated drug-use behaviour.

Conclusion: Alcohol as legal substance was often used among participants of this study. The distribution of current abstinence correlates well to a similar study from the University of Hannover addressing the health status in medical students from Poland and Germany [1]. More than one third showed an unhealthy alcohol-drinking behaviour. Education concerning health effects and consequences of intolerable daily maximum quantities of alcohol is further required among medical students. The number of non-smokers was over-represented compared to corresponding populations in Eastern Germany [2]. There were noticeable problems concerning the consumption of illegal substances. The number of – especially male – medical students who were experienced in the consumption of illegal substances was over-represented compared to a corresponding population (age 18-24 years, Eastern Germany) [2]. Consequently, information concerning health effects and legal consequences for further health professionals is required, particularly during the theoretical training.


References

1.
Maniecka-Bryla I, Bryla M, Weinkauf A, Dierks ML. The international comparative study of the health status of medical university students in Lodz and Hanover: Przegl Lek. 2005;62 Suppl 3:63-68.
2.
Burger M, Mensink G. Bundes-Gesundheitssurvey: Alkohol. Konsumverhalten in Deutschland. Beiträge zur Gesundheitsberichterstattung des Bundes. Berlin: Robert-Koch-Institut; 2003.