Background:Medical training involves a long and exhaustive curriculum in which students are frequently evaluated by examinations. Pre-examination stress is a common condition faced by students prior to exams and is one of the most widely experienced problems for medical students. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of exam stress on autonomic nervous system functions of students through cardiovascular parameters and respiratory tests.
Materials and Methods:The study group consisted of 29 second-year medical students. This cross-sectional study was carried out from February to March 2020 at Harran University, Turkey. The parameters used were oxygen saturation, pulse rate (PR), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and pulmonary function tests. Data were collected four times during an exam period (10 days, 7 days, and 1 hour before the exam and 1 hour after the exam). Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the measurements of PR, SBP, and DBP at different times (p˂0.001; p=0.001; p=0.003, respectively). When the average values of the measurements of Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and vital capacity (VC) at different times were compared, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference between the groups (p˂0.001; p= 0.006; p˂0.001; p˂0.001, respectively). As a result of the sympathetic nervous system induction, hemodynamic and respiratory tests increased gradually until the examination. The results of correlation analysis showed a negative relationship between PR, and FVC, FEV1, VC. Conclusions: It is evident that medical students undergo stress during their pre-exam period. It is thought that constant exposure to stress can disrupt the homeostatic balance in the long term and may be risk factor for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.