FEATURES OF BEHAVIOR, DIET, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, SMOKING, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF JUNIOR MEDICINE STUDENTS

Background. Peculiarities of behavior and nutrition, living conditions, consumption of

alcohol, smoking, and psychological state are factors that can influence students’ academic

performance. Material and methods. 327 healthy 1-2-year students aged 18.8±0.1 years were

interviewed about lifestyle, consumption of various types of foods and alcohol, intensity and

duration of smoking, fasting experience, satisfaction with their degree of wealth and family

relationships, sleep duration and sleep disorders, and the number of physical and psychological

traumas. Anxiety, self-esteem, academic ability, and academic performance were determined.

Results. Students’ nighttime sleep duration was 7.1±0.1 hours; sleep disorders were observed

in 40.1% of students. Vegetables were consumed daily by 31.4% students. 70.8% of males

and 57.8% of females were satisfied with wealth. The females’ academic performance was

higher. Alcohol consumption was higher among females from wealthy families, but lower than

among males. Conclusions. Academic performance was negatively related to the weekly dose

of alcohol consumed. The academic ability level of abstainers was higher than that of alcohol

users. Alcohol users showed an inverse relationship between alcohol consumption and anxiety.

Differences were found in factors contributing to alcohol use by young men and women.

Academic performance was lower in individuals who fasted for more than one day