Attitudes and health promoting behavior of medical and law students.

Abstract

An entering class of medical students is compared with an entering class of law students on attitudes toward self-responsibility for health and reported health behaviors. Students' health behavior patterns are contrasted with those of practicing physicians and lawyers. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaires. Results indicated that medical students were stronger on self-responsibility and also reported more often engaging in health promoting behavior than law students. The same pattern of differences was reported for practicing physicians and lawyers. (Am J Public Health 1982; 72:725-727.) This paper reports a comparison of a class of first year medical students with a class of first year law students on attitudes toward self-responsibility for health and reported health-promoting behavior. The study was suggested by a published report that compared health-promoting behaviors of samples of practicing physicians and lawyers.' Materials and MethodsData were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires during the first week of class for first year medical students and first year law students in the same midwestern, private university. Usable questionnaires were returned from 217 freshman law students (100 per cent) and 152 freshman medical students (98 per cent).The questionnaires were identical in questions asking for demographic information (age, sex, race, social class), opinions on health issues, a six-item index to assess attitude toward self-responsibility for health, a measure of personality type, and reported health behaviors. Questions which measured perspective on their profession differed only in the referent, i.e., questions referring to medicine or physicians were asked of medical students and questions about law and lawyers were asked of law students. Data were analyzed by chi square and correlational techniques.

Health and lifestyle needs assessment of medical students in the United Arab Emirates

“…This corroborates the students' perception that they are not active enough. Other surveys of health and health practices of medical students in the United States and Australia have found similar health concerns (Coe et al, 1982;Sobal, 1986;Parkerson et al, 1990;Konen & Fromm, 1992;Najem et al, 1995;Kamien & Power, 1996). In general the students had high rates of sedentary lifestyle, but low rates of smoking and low use of medical care.…”

“…Studies have found that significant numbers of physicians in diverse countries are overweight, sedentary, drink alcohol to excess, self-medicate, suffer high levels of stress, and neglect seeking appropriate preventive and curative clinical care for themselves (Vaillant et al, 1972;Nyman, 1991;Janes et al, 1992;Caplan, 1994;Baldwin et al, 1997;Firth, 1997;Townsend, 2001). While some studies show that whereas many medical students enter the profession with reasonably good health habits, some do not (Coe et al, 1982;Sobal, 1986;Parkerson et al, 1990;Konen & Fromm, 1992;Najem et al, 1995;Kamien & Power, 1996), and many may be vulnerable to stress and psychological illness (Ironside, 1966;Vaillant et al, 1972;Richman, 1992). Thus, improving the health and lifestyle of medical students would be expected to protect them from the health risks of their chosen profession and allow them to gain significant additional years of healthy life.…”

Prevalence and Distribution of Musculoskeletal Pain Among Australian Medical Students

“…In the same study, medical students appeared to exercise more frequently than either the dental or nursing students. Coe et al (17) also found that medical students engaged in health-promoting behavior more often than law students at the same university. Therefore, it is possible that increased health-promoting behavior among medical students may offer a protective affect against MSP at certain body sites.…”

Hand dermatitis among female nursing students in tropical Australia

“…(1995) found that American nursing students smoked more than medical students and were more likely to be overweight. Alternatively, Coe et al . (1982) reported that American law students were more likely to smoke and drink heavily when compared to medical students.…”