Assessment of Adherence to a Healthy Lifestyle Among Students of Medical Higher Institutions, Interns and Practical Doctors

In Ukraine, the mortality rate from cardio-vascular diseases remains consistently one of the highest among European countries. Monitoring adherence to the principles of a healthy lifestyle and regular screening are the key points of the prevention and timely diagnosis of chronic diseases. The objective: to assess the attitude towards a healthy lifestyle of students of higher medical institutions, interns and practical physicians and to conduct a comparative analysis of the obtained results. Materials and methods. To achieve the goal of our study, we conducted an anonymous survey of 232 respondents (42 doctors, 55 interns, 135 students) on adherence to the principles of a healthy lifestyle using Microsoft Forms. The questionnaire questions concerned nutrition, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, regular monitoring of blood pressure (BP), glucose, and blood lipids. We assessed the specified criteria in accordance with the recommendations of the “Ukrainian Plate of Healthy Eating” and the Ministry of Health. Statistical analysis included t-test, correlation coefficients, Fisher’s exact test, regression analysis of the influence of sociodemographic characteristics on the degree of adherence to a healthy lifestyle (0–5 points) with. The analysis was conducted in MedCalc® version 23.2.1, the indicator was considered significant if p < 0.05. Results. It was found that the groups were not differ in gender and place of residence, but the group of doctors had significant differences in family status and income. At the same time, all groups of participants significantly differed in age (p < 0.0001). Among all participants, based on BMI assessment, overweight was detected in 16% of respondents, obesity – in 10%. Students had lower average BMI values compared to other participants. The highest prevalence of harmful habits (smoking, alcohol) was observed in the group of students. The least number of smokers was identified among doctors (74%), while in the group of interns, sufficient physical activity (73%) and adequate sleep (67%) were most often indicated. Assessment of the necessary vaccination according to the vaccination calendar showed the highest adherence in the group of interns (98%). The subsequent assessment of nutrition revealed the dominance of meat consumption in all groups, compared to fish. Daily eating of vegetables and fruits was noted by 54.7% of doctors, 40% of interns, and only 34% of students. Excessive salt consumption was more often observed among doctors (26%). Based on the assessment of the presence of chronic diseases, the highest rate was fond among doctors, which was 45%. According to the survey results, regular BP control was carried out by 81% of doctors, 77% of students, and 64% of interns, about 30% of respondents checked their glucose level annually, and cholesterol – only 15–26%. Multiple regression showed a significant relationship between place of residence and adherence to a healthy lifestyle: rural residents had better indicators (β = 0.798; p = 0.016). BMI, income, age and marriage did not have a statistically significant effect. Conclusions. The survey results showed both positive trends and significant challenges in adhering to a healthy lifestyle among medical professionals and students. Despite awareness, the prevalence of harmful habits and insufficient adherence to individual components of a healthy lifestyle remain significant, especially among students. This indicates the need to increase attention to prevention and the formation of healthy habits at the stage of education.