Quality of life and substance use in Lebanese medical students

ABSTRACT

Background

Substance use is prevalent among medical students and could affect their academic performance. This study aimed to determine whether a relationship exists between quality of life and substance use among medical students in Lebanon.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 465 medical students in Lebanon during the academic year 2022–2023. It was based on an online questionnaire about quality of life, and dependence on alcohol, nicotine, waterpipe, and cannabis.

Results

Alcohol was the most used substance by medical students (83.2%) followed by cigarettes (27.5%), waterpipe (18.1%), and cannabis (16.1%). We reported alcohol dependence in 14%, cannabis use disorder in 4.1%, high nicotine dependence in 23.4%, and waterpipe dependence in 11% of students. Physical and mental health scores were below average. Poor physical health was associated with higher dependence on nicotine and waterpipe.

Conclusion

Medical students in Lebanon have poor mental and physical health and engage in substance use. Awareness campaigns promoting better mental and physical quality of life are needed.

KEYWORDS:

• Substance use
• mental health
• physical health
• medical students
• Lebanon

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Contributorship statement

All authors had full access to all of the data in the study and can take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Additional information

Funding

This work received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.