[Epidemiologic study of the psychological health and risk behaviors of medical students].
OBJECTIVE
In the present study the authors conducted a cross sectional study of fourth-year (eighth-semester) students at Semmelweis University, to assess their stress-related complaints, and also some of the more common forms of risk behavior, including smoking, regular alcohol consumption, past or current drug use and the regular use of pharmaceuticals.


METHODS
A total of 410 students were evaluated; 263 medical students, 96 pharmaceutical students and 78 dentistry students. An adapted version of Anderson's questionnaire was used for the evaluation of the total burden of stress based on emotional, physical and work-related complaints. Respondents who mentioned more than three signs of increased stress involving any of the above three categories (emotional, physical and work-related) were designated "high risk" subjects.


RESULTS
The overall prevalence of "high risk" subjects was 30.5% (29.7% in medical, 38.5% in pharmaceutical and 23.1% in dentistry students) with no significant gender differences. 55.2% of "high risk" subjects had over three complaints in only one category, 32.6% in two categories, and 12.2% in all three categories. 43.6% of the subjects experienced work-related complaints, 33.3% of them had emotional and 23.1% had physical complaints. The overall prevalence of various forms of risk behavior was found to be 19.3% for smoking (25.2% in males and 15% in females), 30.2% for regular alcohol intake (47.1 in males and 18.3% in females), 25.4% for the regular use of some kind of medication (14.7% in males and 33.0% in females) and 24.9% for those who admitted to previous drug-use (37.6% in males and 16.3% in females).


CONCLUSIONS
All forms of risk behavior were more common in the "high risk" group, but only smoking and the regular use of medication were increased significantly. There were no differences in risk behavior prevalence with regards to a particular category of complaints.
Sima
Agnes
A
Semmelweis Egyetem, Altalános Orvostudományi Kar, Közegészségtani Intézet, Társadalomorvostani Csoport, Budapest.
Pikó
Bettina
B
Simon
Tamás
T
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires