Comparative assessment of the health and motivation levels of medical students at medical universities in the Far East

Training highly qualified medical professionals for the Far East region is a key government priority. The quality of any education depends on a variety of internal and external factors, including motivation. Meanwhile, students' motivation level depends on their health status. Thus, this study aims to assess how students' health impacts the quality of education and their internal and external motivation to learn at medical universities in the Far East.

Materials and methods. As part of the Far Eastern educational, scientific, and industrial cluster, the following institutions participated in the study: Far Eastern State Medical University (FESMU), Amur State Medical Academy (ASMA), M.K. Ammosov North Eastern Federal University (NEFU), and Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU). A total of 1,697 students, aged 18 to 24, who study medicine were included in the study. A comprehensive health assessment included measuring body weight and height to determine BMI, checking blood pressure, and measuring total cholesterol and glucose levels. Additionally, subjective assessments and quality-of-life evaluations were conducted using questionnaires, particularly the short form of the MOS SF-12. The assessment covered physical status, encompassing physical activity, role functioning, bodily pain, and general health, as well as psychological status, covering resilience, social activity, emotional functioning, and psychological well-being. The motivation level was assessed using the questionnaire developed by T.O. Gordeeva, O.A. Sychev, and E.N. Osin (2014). Characteristic frequency was calculated as a percentage. Data from the study was used to create simple, group, and contingency tables, which revealed relationships between three or more variables. The mode, median, and arithmetic mean were calculated. The mean values were then compared across groups using a Student’s t-test. Results. The study revealed that 49.1% of students are classified as Health Group II. NEFU has the healthiest students, 22.1% of whom are classified as Health Group I. In contrast, students classified as Health Group III are 1.3 times more common at FEFU than at other universities in the Far East. A correlation was found between the levels of internal and external motivation and the students’ health status. Among students in Health Group III, significant cognitive motivation (Group III B, p = 0.55) was observed, as well as strong, practically absolute (p = 0.9) external motivation and high achievement motivation. Conclusion. The health of a student directly affects their internal and external motivation to learn.

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