Key result
Presence of examination was associated with increased cardiovascular parameters, cognitive reaction times, and stress scores among medical students compared to the post-examination period.
Why the study?
Rigorous medical undergraduate training often leads to working beyond mental threshold and physical strength, prompting an evaluation of stress status among medical students.
Does the presence of examination increase cardiovascular, cognitive, and stress parameters in healthy medical students compared to the absence of examination?
Observational (n=160)
Does the presence of examination increase cardiovascular, cognitive, and stress parameters in healthy medical students compared to the absence of examination?
Examination stress significantly increases cardiovascular parameters, cognitive reaction times, and stress scores in medical students.
Exam stress may transiently raise cardiovascular parameters in students; leaves open long-term risk implications and need for prospective study.
Introduction: Medical student during undergraduate course of 4=1/2 years including 1-year internship study hard, tirelessly for longer periods of day or night and often work beyond their mental threshold and physical strength resulting in stress. The present study was designed to evaluate and compare the stress status among first and second year MBBS students. Materials and Methods: 160 (62 males and 98 females) first (n=90) and second (n=70) year healthy MBBS students were enrolled for this study. Cardiovascular parameters like pulse rate (PR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), Cognitive function tests like auditory reaction time (ART) and visual reaction time (VRT) and Stress score (by stress questionnaire) was evaluated and compared in presence of examination (pre-examination) and during absence examination (post-examination, 10-15 days after pre-examination). Data obtained from this study was analysed by Instat Graph Pad using paired t-test. Results: All parameters studied in this study were increased in almost all students during pre-examination. In females compared to males all parameters were significantly less in pre-examination except PR (i.e. less SBP, DBP, less cognition function that means high ART & VRT and less stress score). During postexamination study comparison between males and females, difference of means of parameters were not significant except VRT (Visual reaction time was high in females). Cognition function was less in females as compared to males in both pre as well post examination. Conclusion: Students were in stress with increased all cardiovascular parameters, cognitive parameters and stress score. This may affect the performance and can produce anxiety and/or depression subsequently. Students who are at risk of excessive stress should be identified and faculties should help them to deal the examination stress, anxiety or depression effectively and the earliest.
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Kumari et al. (2019) conducted an observational in Healthy medical students (stress evaluation) (n=160). Presence of examination (pre-examination) vs. Absence of examination (post-examination) was evaluated on Cardiovascular parameters (PR, SBP, DBP), cognitive function tests (ART, VRT), and stress score. Presence of examination was associated with increased cardiovascular parameters, cognitive reaction times, and stress scores among medical students compared to the post-examination period.
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