Background: The aim of this study was to determine the predictors of health promoting lifestyle behaviour among medical students attending seven of the medical schools in Turkey. Materials and Methods: This crosssectional descriptive study was performed during the second semester of the first and last (sixth) years of study from March to May 2011. A questionnaire with two sections was specifically designed. The first section contained questions on demographic characteristics; the second consisted of the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP) Scale. From a total of 2,309 medical students, 2,118 (response rate 91.7%) completed the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t, Anova, Tukey test and binary logistic regression analysis. The research was approved by the Ethics Committee of Erciyes University. Results: The mean age was 20.7±2.9 years and it was found that 55.1% were men, 62.3% were in the first year. The overall prevalence of smoking was 19.1%, and for drinking alcohol was 19.4%. HPLP point averages of the first year students were 129.2±17.7, and for last year 125.5±19.0. The overall mean score for the HPLP II was 2.5±0.4. They scored highest on the spiritual growth subscale (2.9±0.5), interpersonal relations (2.8±0.5), health responsibility subscale (2.3±0.5), nutrition subscale (2.3±0.5), stress management subscale (2.3±0.4), and the lowest subscale physical activity (2.0±0.5). It is established that student's grade, educational level of parents, economic status of family, marital status, smoking and general health perception of the students resulted in a significant difference in HPLP Scale total score average and the mean score of majority of subscales.There was no statistically significant difference between the total HPLP when evaluated for gender, chronic disease, alcohol drinking status and BMI. Conclusions: Based on these results, particularly in the curriculum of medical students in order to increase positive health behaviours including physical activity, health promotion issues, and giving more space to aim at behaviour change in these matters is recommended.

BackgroundThe relationship between students and instructors is of crucial importance for the development of a positive learning climate. Learning climate is a multifaceted concept, and its measurement is a complicated process. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine medical students’ perceptions about the clinical learning climate and to investigate differences in their perceptions in terms of various variables.MethodsMedical students studying at six medical schools in Turkey were recruited for the study. All students who completed clinical rotations, which lasted for 3 or more weeks, were included in the study (n=3,097). Data were collected using the Clinical Learning Climate Scale (CLCS). The CLCS (36 items) includes three subscales: clinical environment, emotion, and motivation. Each item is scored using a 5-point Likert scale (1: strongly disagree to 5: strongly agree).ResultsThe response rate for the trainees was 69.67% (n=1,519), and for the interns it was 51.47% (n=917). The mean total CLCS score was 117.20±17.19. The rotation during which the clinical learning climate was perceived most favorably was the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation rotation (mean score: 137.77). The most negatively perceived rotation was the General Internal Medicine rotation (mean score: 104.31). There were significant differences between mean total scores in terms of trainee/intern characteristics, internal medicine/surgical medicine rotations, and perception of success.ConclusionThe results of this study drew attention to certain aspects of the clinical learning climate in medical schools. Clinical teacher/instructor/supervisor, clinical training programs, students’ interactions in clinical settings, self-realization, mood, students’ intrinsic motivation, and institutional commitment are important components of the clinical learning climate. For this reason, the aforementioned components should be taken into consideration in studies aiming to improve clinical learning climate.

AIM: While training knowledgeable, competent and professional physicians for the patients health medical education distresses and sicken medical students. The aim of this study was to describe the general features of the preclinical years’ students and the affect of these features on the anxiety and depression level of them. METHOD: In this descriptive and cross-sectional study an anonymous and voluntary questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic variables, questions related to medical education and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was applied to the first three years’ students of medical faculty. For the analyses of the data Student-t test, One-way ANOVA and chi-square tests were used. RESULTS: The mean age of the students in the study group was 19.49±1.54 years and 272 of them (56.1%) were male. The anxiety and depression levels of the students from rural parts of the country and whose parents’ education levels were primary school or below were high (p<0.05). According to questions related to medical education there was a difference in anxiety levels of year one and two students who selected medical education in between first three choice (p=0.01) and between year two and three students who chose medicine because of occupation guarantee (p=0.00). There was a significant difference between students who noted family-intimates as the reason of their choice and liking medicine (p=0.00). The anxiety levels of the students who were absolutely unpleased with their choice were the highest (p<0.05). The mean anxiety and depression levels were 7.45±3.79 and 5.60±3.74 points and 87 students (17.9%) anxiety level, 136 students’ (28.0%) depression level were above the cut of levels in the whole group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study points to the importance of voluntary and informed selection of medical education. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2011; 10(3.000): 303-312

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