The Relationship between Marital Status and General Health among the Students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, in 2015-2016

Document Type : Original Article (s)

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Community and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

2 Student of Medicine, Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Background: Considering the role of marriage in life and its effect on lifestyle and general health, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between marital status and general health among the students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 330 students from the fourth year in 9 medical sciences fields of study in years 2015-2016 were participated. Students were selected on the basis of random sampling, and their demographic information was recorded after obtaining consent for participation in the study. Economic status of individuals and their mental health status [by General health questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28)] were evaluated, and the data were analyzed using SPSS software.Findings: Most of the married participants were women in this study (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference between single and married subjects based on the field of study (P = 0.030). But there was no significant difference between the two groups based on socioeconomic status (P = 0.060). According to the GHQ28 questionnaire, the score of disorder in social function was significantly higher in single subjects (P = 0.006). There was also a significant difference between different fields of study based in physical symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, depression and social function disorder (P < 0.001).Conclusion: Married students of medical sciences had better social function than single students, and had similar results in other mental health-related factors. On the other hand, mental health in some fields of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and nursing and midwifery was not appropriate, and policies should be developed to improve the mental health status of students in these fields.

Keywords


  1. Marmot M, Friel S, Bell R, Houweling TA, Taylor S. Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Lancet 2008; 372(9650): 1661-9.
  2. Samimi R, Masrure Rodsary D, Hosseini F, Tamadonfar M. Correlation between lifestyle and general health in university students. Iran J Nurs 2007; 19(48): 83-93. [In Persian].
  3. Williams JS, Cunich M, Byles J. The impact of socioeconomic status on changes in the general and mental health of women over time: evidence from a longitudinal study of Australian women. Int J Equity Health 2013; 12: 25.
  4. World Health Organization, Regional Office for South-East Asia. Social determinants of health: Report of a regional consultation Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2-4 October 2007. New Delhi, India WHO, Regional Office for South-East Asia; 2008.
  5. Kelly FJ, Fussell JC. Air pollution and public health: Emerging hazards and improved understanding of risk. Environ Geochem Health 2015; 37(4): 631-49.
  6. Mara D, Lane J, Scott B, Trouba D. Sanitation and health. PLoS Med 2010; 7(11): e1000363.
  7. Farhud DD. Impact of lifestyle on health. Iran J Public Health 2015; 44(11): 1442-4.
  8. Gonzalez K, Fuentes J, Marquez JL. Physical Inactivity, sedentary behavior and chronic diseases. Korean J Fam Med 2017; 38(3): 111-5.
  9. Warburton DE, Nicol CW, Bredin SS. Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. CMAJ 2006; 174(6): 801-9.
  10. Han KT, Park EC, Kim JH, Kim SJ, Park S. Is marital status associated with quality of life? Health Qual Life Outcomes 2014; 12: 109.
  11. Xu J, Qiu J, Chen J, Zou L, Feng L, Lu Y, et al. Lifestyle and health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional study among civil servants in China. BMC Public Health 2012; 12: 330.
  12. Robards J, Evandrou M, Falkingham J, Vlachantoni A. Marital status, health and mortality. Maturitas 2012; 73(4): 295-9.
  13. Rolden HJ, van BD, Westendorp RG. Changes in health care expenditure after the loss of a spouse: data on 6,487 older widows and widowers in the Netherlands. PLoS One 2014; 9(12): e115478.
  14. Nariman A, Akbarzadeh M, Hamzeh M. Evaluation of general health in medical students of AJA university of medical sciences, 2009. Ann Mil Health Sci Res 2010; 8(1): 49-55. [In Persian].
  15. Benitez C, Quintero J, Torres R. Prevalence of risk for mental disorders among undergraduate medical students at the Medical School of the Catholic University of Chile. Rev Med Chil 2001; 129(2): 173-8. [In Spanish].
  16. Hawton K, Clements A, Sakarovitch C, Simkin S, Deeks JJ. Suicide in doctors: A study of risk according to gender, seniority and specialty in medical practitioners in England and Wales, 1979-1995. J Epidemiol Community Health 2001; 55(5): 296-300.
  17. Tavakolizadeh J, Khodadadi Z. Assessment of mental health among freshmen entering the first semester in Gonabad University of Medical Sciences in 2009-2010. Horizon Med Sci 2010; 16(2): 45-51. [In Persian].
  18. Mousavi SS, Haj Fathali AR, Taghavi A, Bakhshi M. evaluation of mental health of nonmilitary medical students at clinical training grade. Annals of Military and Health Sciences Research 2007; 5(1): 1127-32. [In Persian].
  19. Ansari H, Bahrami L, Akbar Zadeh L, Bakhshani NM. Assessment of general health and some related factors among students of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in 2007. Zahedan J Res Med Sci 2008; 9(4): 295-304.
  20. Shariati M, Yunesian M, Vash JH. Mental health of medical students: A cross-sectional study in Tehran. Psychol Rep 2007; 100(2): 346-54.
  21. Noorbala AA, Faghihzadeh S, Kamali K, Bagheri Yazdi SA, Hajebi A, Mousavi MT, et al. Mental health survey of the iranian adult population in 2015. Arch Iran Med 2017; 20(3): 0.
  22. Willitts M, Benzeval M, Stansfeld S. Partnership history and mental health over time. J Epidemiol Community Health 2004; 58(1): 53-8.
  23. Strohschein L, McDonough P, Monette G, Shao Q. Marital transitions and mental health: are there gender differences in the short-term effects of marital status change? Soc Sci Med 2005; 61(11): 2293-303.
  24. Moayedi F, Rastikerdar N, Golkhar B. Evaluation of mental Health among Medical Students of Southern Iran. Intl Res J Appl Basic Sci 2015; 9(12): 2095-8.
  25. Tabrizizadeh M, Yasini Ardakani S M, Rostamzade P, Zare M. The Mental Health Status of Students of Medicine and Dentistry A Study in Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran . Strides Dev Med Educ 2013; 9(2): 153-61. [In Persian].
  26. Yousefi F, Mohamadkhani M. Investigation of students' mental health at Kurdistan University of Medical Science and it related with age, gender and their academic courses. Med J Mashad Univ Med Sci 2014; 56(6): 354-61. [In Persian].
  27. Omigbodun OO, Odukogbe AT, Omigbodun AO, Yusuf OB, Bella TT, Olayemi O. Stressors and psychological symptoms in students of medicine and allied health professions in Nigeria. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2006; 41(5): 415-21.
  28. Tangade PS, Mathur A, Gupta R, Chaudhary S. assessment of stress level among dental school students: an indian outlook. Dent Res J (Isfahan) 2011; 8(2): 95-101.
  29. Bedewy D, Gabriel A. Examining perceptions of academic stress and its sources among university students: The Perception of Academic Stress Scale. Health Psychol Open 2015; 2(2): 2055102915596714.
  30. Uner S, Ozcebe H, Tezcan S. Assessment of Mental Health of University Students with GHQ-12. Turk J Med Sci 2008; 38(5): 437-46.
  31. Johnston WF, Rodriguez RM, Suarez D, Fortman J. Study of medical students' malpractice fear and defensive medicine: a "hidden curriculum?". West J Emerg Med 2014; 15(3): 293-8.