Key result
Male gender and age ≥30 linked to reduced parasympathetic activity and sympathicotonia.
Why the study?
The influence of gender, age, and academic performance on autonomic nervous system function measured by heart rate variability in final year Oriental medical students was unclear.
Do gender, age, and academic performance influence autonomic nervous system function measured by heart rate variability in final year medical students?
Observational (n=109)
No
Do gender, age, and academic performance influence autonomic nervous system function measured by heart rate variability in final year medical students?
Gender and age, but not academic performance, significantly influence autonomic nervous system function and stress levels in final year Oriental medical students.
This study was conducted for 11 weeks to evaluate the influence of gender, age and academic performance on autonomic nervous system (ANS) measured by heart rate variability in final year Oriental medical students in Korea. Subjects were 109 Oriental medical students in their final year (11th semester) in the College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University. The 5‐min heart rate variability (HRV) was measured for evaluating ANS of all subjects and then the outcome of HRV was analyzed to investigate the influence of gender, age and academic performance on ANS by analysis of covariance, a model with control variables. Male students were found to have less parasympathetic activity and to have an autonomic balance shifted towards sympathicotonia compared with female students. Increased age was also negatively associated with ANS. Specifically, students aged 30 years or older showed less parasympathetic activity compared to their younger peers. However, there was no statistical significance of ANS between high and low grade group on academic performance. Considering the theory that increased stress could lead to change in ANS and it could decrease parasympathetic activity or increase sympathetic activity, this study suggest that gender and age can affect the stress level of final year Oriental medical students in Korea.
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Kim et al. (2010) conducted an observational in Stress / Autonomic nervous function (n=109). Male gender and older age (≥30 years) vs. Female gender and younger age was evaluated on Autonomic nervous system (ANS) function measured by 5-min heart rate variability (HRV). Male gender and age ≥30 years were associated with less parasympathetic activity and an autonomic balance shifted towards sympathicotonia, while academic performance had no significant effect.
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