title: Psychosomatic problems among medical students: a myth or reality?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical students are exposed to stress and this can predispose them to psychological and behavioral consequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychosomatic disorders were investigated among 385 medical students from two teaching hospitals using a stratified random sampling. The Enugu somatization Scale (ESS) was used to evaluate for presence of somatization in the participants. Statistical analysis was done with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPPS) version 19 (Chicago IL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 385 medical students with a calculated mean age of 23.55 ± 3.33 years were recruited in this study. The prevalence of psychosomatic disorder was 55 (14.3%) with prevalence among males 33 (14.2%) and among females 22 (14.4%). Based on features, 44 (11.4%) had head features while 30 (7.8%) had body features of psychosomatic disorder respectively. Similar proportion of both males and females (about 14% each) had psychosomatic disorder. There was no statistically significant difference ([Formula: see text] = 0.002, p = 0.966). Students aged 24 years and below had similar proportion of psychosomatic disorder 38 (14.3%) with those aged over 24 years 17 (14.2%). The difference was not statistically significant ([Formula: see text] = 0.002, p = 0.964). Students from lower social class had lower proportion of psychosomatic disorder (10.6%) when compared to middle (17.2%) and upper (15.2%). The difference was equally not statistically significant ([Formula: see text] = 1.759, p = 0.415). Male students had similar likelihood of psychosomatic disorder with females (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.56-1.82). Those had belong to middle socio-economic class were about 1.2 times (AOR 1.15, 95% CI 0.54-2.45) and lower socio-economic class about 0.6 times (AOR 0.66, 95% CI 0.31-1.37) likely to have psychosomatic disorder than those from upper socio-economic class.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychosomatic disorders constitute an emerging mental health problem among medical students in Nigerian Universities. This can pose a major mental health problem if neglected.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria ; University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chinawa
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria ; University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ada R C
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Nwokocha
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Federal Teaching Hospital Abakiliki, Abakiliki, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Pius C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Manyike
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Enugu State Nigeria.
authors.forename: Awoere Tamunosiki
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Chinawa
authors.affiliation: University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria ; College of Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Elias C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Aniwada
authors.affiliation: University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria ; College of Medicine, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Appolos Chidi
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ndukuba
keywords: Medical students; Nigeria; Psychosomatic disorder