Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and physical health of Hungarian and foreign medical students studying in Hungary

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical students had to deal with the stress caused by the pandemic, the isolation due to lockdowns and social distancing, the challenges of online education, and due to the nature of their training, they also had to take part in the management of the medical emergency. Objective: The main goal of our research was to analyze the effects of the pandemic on Hungarian and foreign medical students studying in Hungary. Method: Our study was conducted with the participation of 300 medical students. For the survey, we used a 60-point questionnaire related to sociodemographic conditions, COVID-19 infection, lifestyle, anxiety and sleep quality. The data were collected between January 1, 2022 and April 1, 2022.Results: The most significant findings comparing the pre-pandemic period with the period without restrictions are that the number of daily meetings with friends has decreased, the proportion of those exercising 2-5 times a week also decreased, whereas the duration of time spent on social media platforms increased by an average of 30 minutes per day. However, the proportion of those who drink alcohol at least once a week decreased by 11%, and the number of alcohol units consumed also decreased. Based on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD7) values, the level of anxiety among medical students was mild to moderate. The average time for students to fall asleep is 22.6 minutes, and based on the Pittsburgh Sleeping Quality Index (PSQI) values, the first- and third-year students belong to the group of "bad sleepers". Discussion: The pandemic has greatly affected the life of medical students studying in Hungary. Students sleep worse, are more anxious than their peers of similar age, and the number of personal meetings and physical activities, which can be considered protective factors, also decreased. Conclusion: The results of our research highlight the importance of examining the somato-psychosocial health of medical students, as they may have a significant impact on the quality of patient care in the coming decades.