Impact of Bronchial Asthma on Medical Student Attendance

Abstract

Background: Asthma symptoms may result in student absenteeism and affect their academic performance. We aimed to assess the rate of absenteeism among medical students with asthma. Patients and methods: An online survey was conducted among medical students with asthma at King Abdulaziz University. The survey questions domain included:1) demographic data; 2) the student's asthma management; 3) the effect of asthma on attendance by estimating the missing days in the academic year; 4) the student's opinions on the effect of asthma on their attendance, and 5) the student's asthma control status. Results: A total of 70 asthmatic students responded to our survey. Twelve (17.1%) students had missed at least one examination, and 27 (38.6%) students reported having missed at least one teaching session due to asthma symptoms. Severe asthma attacks requiring emergency room visits or hospital admission in the last 12 months, ongoing exposure to asthma triggers, and male gender were associated with a higher rate of missing examinations: 4 students (40%, p = 0.038), 12 students (23.1%, p = 0.025), and 11 students (25.6%, p = 0.018), respectively. No clinical features were associated with an increased rate of missing teaching sessions. Associations between absenteeism, asthma control in the preceding four weeks, and the use of asthma medications were not significant. Conclusion: History of severe asthma attacks, ongoing antigen exposure, and male gender were associated with an increased rate of absenteeism from examinations among medical students. Accommodating medical health issues is an important step in optimizing the academic environment for medical students.