Perceived Social Support as a Determinant of Quality of Life among Medical Students: 6-Month Follow-up Study

Abstract

Objective: This longitudinal study aimed to identify the relevant factors related to quality of life (QoL) changes in medical students. Methods: For this 6-month follow-up study, we enrolled 109 students from a Korean medical school. To assess students' QoL, we used the World Health Organization QoL scale. Possible determinants of student QoL included demographics, fatigue, and social support. A stepwise multivariate analysis identified factors associated with changes of student QoL. Results: Among sources of support, the "friends" category was the main position affecting their overall QoL, and "significant other" had the strongest influence on psychological and social domains. The impact of support from friends on QoL was confirmed in the longitudinal analysis. Final regression models revealed that providing students with more social support and promoting fatigue reduction best improved medical student sense of well-being. Conclusion: Creating stronger student support programs to prevent social detachment and implementing strategies to reduce fatigue can improve QoL in medical students.