Assessing the Impacts of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Perceived Stress Among Undergraduate Medical Students in Pakistan

NCT06778889 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: KMDC-PA-MH-2025
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 291
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Brief Summary The goal of this observational study is to understand how physical activity affects mental health and perceived stress in undergraduate medical students in Pakistan. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does physical activity improve the mental health of medical students? Does physical activity lower the stress levels of medical students? Researchers will compare students who engage in physical activity to those who do not to see if physical activity improves their mental health and reduces stress. Participants will: Complete surveys about their mental health and perceived stress. Report their physical activity levels, including how often they exercise and for how long. This study will help identify how lifestyle changes, like exercising, can improve the well-being of medical students and potentially reduce the challenges they face during their education.

Conditions

Mental Health; Perceived Stress; Physical Activity

Keywords

Mental Health profile; Perceived Stress; Medical students; Physical activity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Mental Health Status of Undergraduate Medical Students

  The primary outcome measure is to assess the mental health status of undergraduate medical students using the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18), which assesses psychological distress across three subscales: anxiety, depression, and somatization. The BSI-18 uses a 5-point Likert scale, where 0 = "not at all" and 4 = "extremely," to measure each symptom's intensity. The Global Severity Index (GSI) is calculated from the total score across all subscales, with higher scores indicating higher distress. The subscale scores for anxiety, depression, and somatization range from 0 to 24, where higher scores reflect greater psychological discomfort. Minimum value: 0 (indicating no distress)Maximum value: 24 (indicating extreme distress) In addition to raw scores, the BSI-18 also provides T-scores (mean = 50, SD = 10) for each subscale, allowing for comparison across populations regardless of their distribution. Higher T-scores indicate more significant distress.

  Data have been collected once during the survey period, which spans from February 2 to October 2, 2024.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Perceived Stress Levels among Undergraduate Medical Students.

  Data have been collected once during the survey period, which spans from February 2 to October 2, 2024.

Other Outcomes (1)

• Physical Activity Levels of Undergraduate Medical Students

  Data have been collected once during the survey period, which spans from February 2 to October 2, 2024.

Study Arms (1)

Undergraduate Medical Students

This cohort consists of undergraduate medical students enrolled in the medical program. They will be assessed for their physical activity levels, perceived stress, and mental health.

Behavioral: Undergraduate Medical Students

Interventions

Undergraduate Medical Students BEHAVIORAL

This is an observational study without any intervention. Data will be collected using standardized questionnaires to assess physical activity, mental health, and stress levels in the participants.

Undergraduate Medical Students

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

The study will target undergraduate medical students aged 18-30 years from various institutions. The population will include both male and female students, ensuring a comprehensive analysis of mental health, perceived stress, and physical activity.

You may qualify if:

• Undergraduate medical students from any academic year.
• Students who are willing to participate and provide informed consent.
• Students who engage in physical activity (any frequency or duration) within the last month

You may not qualify if:

• Students who do not provide informed consent.
• Students with physical disabilities or medical conditions that prevent participation in physical activity (e.g., severe cardiovascular conditions, musculoskeletal disorders).
• Students with a diagnosed mental health disorder that may interfere with the study's focus on stress and mental health (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder).
• Students with language barriers.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Rawalpindi Medical College: lead

Study Sites (1)

Karachi medical and dental college

Karachi, Sindh, 74600, Pakistan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being; Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Study Officials

• Nazeer Ahmed, MBBS

  Karachi medical and dental college karachi Pakistan

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Final year medical student

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 3, 2025
• First Posted: January 16, 2025
• Study Start: February 2, 2024
• Primary Completion: October 2, 2024
• Study Completion: October 2, 2024
• Last Updated: January 16, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: The IPD and supporting information will be available starting 6 months after publication and will remain accessible for 5 years.
• Access Criteria: Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal to investigate questions relevant to the study objectives will have access. Proposals should be directed nazeermed313@gmail.com. Data will be made available through a secure online repository after approval.

Locations

PA (1)