Auto avaliação de saúde do estudante de medicina e o impacto da pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 gained pandemic status in March 2020, requiring coordinated international responses and generating major impacts. Health consequences caused by social isolation have already been evidenced, such as altered sleep patterns, decreased performance of daily activities, tension and others. Among university students, the sudden change in routine, the adoption of remote teaching methods and uncertainties about the future may generate repercussions that are still unknown in the personal and professional spheres, and it is necessary to study this topic to better understand and plan actions to minimize such impacts. Objectives: To understand if and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected medical students' self-rated health. Methodology: Exploratory and qualitative study, carried out through focus groups, with thematic analysis of the data. Students' self rated health was determined using the SF-36 questionnaire. The groups were conducted by online videoconferences, including medical students with active enrollment at UFPB who, through public call, volunteered to participate. The number of groups was defined a priori, according to the course cycles. Results and discussion: The results of the SF-36 were organized in tables. The only parameters that received the minimum score were "limitations due to physical aspects" and "limitations due to emotional aspects". There was also a tendency for low scores on topics dealing with health impacts on vitality and social aspects. After transcribed, the speeches of the participants were divided into four thematic groups, according to the nuclei of meaning that had the greatest prominence in the discussions: Habits and physical activity; fear of illness as a generator of anxiety; mental health and uncertainties and insecurities: challenges of medical education. Conclusions: Within the studied group, the negative impact of the pandemic on the self-perception of their health conditions was notable. Although there is already some adaptation to the new scenario, the impacts on physical and mental health are still very present, with physical and psychological symptoms, in addition to the uncertainties of students about the consequences of the moment experienced in medical education. Therefore, the importance of planning mechanisms to reduce the consequences on the health of future doctors and their training is highlighted.