Association between Lifestyle and Academic Performance among Medical Students, Majmaah, Saudi Arabia.

ABSTRACT

A healthy lifestyle includes practices such as proper nutrition, regular exercise, adequate hours of sleep, and avoiding substance abuse. Many research projects have shown that there is a correlation between lifestyle and academic performance, while others found that lifestyle is not consistent with academic achievement. We wanted to examine the association between lifestyle and academic performance among medical students of Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia.METHODSThis is a cross-sectional study, and a survey was carried out amongst the students attending college of medicine, Majmaah University, through a well-designed pre-tested questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS software.RESULTSA total of 171 medical students participated in the study. Most of the participants n= 119 (69.6%) were males, and the rest n= 52 (30.4%) were females. The mean age of participants was (21.64+1.88) based on the results; most of the participants n=101 (59%) were between the 2nd and 3rd academic years. The academic performance of the students did not correlate with the lifestyle habits of the students. Lifestyle parameters tested were physical activity, dietary habits, sleeping patterns, substance abuse, and the use of social media. Academic performance was measured using the cumulative grade point average (GPA) of the student. No statistically significant difference regarding academic performance was noted among the high GPA and low GPA students in relation to their lifestyle. None of the healthy behaviours like physical activity, dietary habits, sleep patterns, and substance abuse are related to the academic performance of medical students (p>0.05).CONCLUSIONSOur study showed that there was no association between lifestyle and academic performance.