THE ISSUE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE INCIDENCE AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS

Abstract

Introduction. The training of future medical professionals involves not only development of skills and professional background, but also maintaining a sufficient health status; therefore the relevance of studying an incidence of infectious pathologies in medical students is exceptionally important. The purpose of the study is to investigate, analyze, and compare incidence of some infectious diseases among medicine students. Materials and methods. We utilized various research methods including analysis of scientific sources, synthesis and comparison of studies by other researchers, surveys, observations, interviews, and statistical data on the incidence of infectious diseases in Ukraine and worldwide. Additionally, we conducted a poll among first-year students of the medical faculty at Vinnytsia National Pirogov Memorial Medical University using Google Forms to gather data on the incidence of respiratory and digestive system infections. The study revealed that approximately 65% of the surveyed students had experienced coronavirus disease, mostly in a mild form. Among acute respiratory viral infections, flu (55.3%), sore throat (31.3%), and rhinopharyngitis (21.3%) were the most common (79.1%) among medical students. About 74% of respondents reported no chronic diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract, while the rest mentioned conditions such as allergic rhinitis (10%), chronic tonsillitis (10%), chronic pharyngitis (3.4%), and vocal cord diseases (2%). In terms of infectious pathologies of the digestive system, food poisoning of unspecified etiology (33.3%) and viral intestinal infections (11.7%) were the most prevalent. Conclusion. The relevance of the issue of infectious disease incidence among medical students necessitates further investigation and analysis to identify contributing factors, develop monitoring methods, and promote healthy lifestyles to maintain optimal health status.