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Lifestyle habits and gastrointestinal disorders: Current status and association among general medical students at Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine in 2025
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Abstract
gastrointestinal disorders among general medical students at the Vietnam University of Traditional Medicine in 2025.
Subjects and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 468 general medical students from April to September 2025. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 22.0. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Result: Among the 468 students, females accounted for 63.2%, with a relatively even distribution across academic years. The prevalence of unhealthy dietary habits was high, including skipping breakfast (17.7–40.9%), insufficient fruit and vegetable intake (40.1–69.1%), and irregular meal timing (76.7–86.7%), although some improvement was observed in later cohorts. Gastrointestinal disorders were common, predominantly presenting as upper gastrointestinal symptoms such as epigastric pain (17.0–56.2%), belching and acid reflux (30.7–41.9%), and nausea (20.3–35.6%). Analysis showed that skipping breakfast, insufficient sleep, and particularly stress and anxiety were significantly associated with gastrointestinal symptoms (p<0.01). In addition, analgesic use and consumption of carbonated beverages were also associated with increased prevalence of certain symptoms.
Conclusion: Gastrointestinal disorders are common among general medical students and are significantly associated with several unhealthy lifestyle habits, particularly stress and anxiety, as well as skipping breakfast, insufficient sleep, analgesic use, and consumption of carbonated beverages.
Article Details
Keywords
Medical students, gastrointestinal disorders, lifestyle habits.
References
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