Life Log: A Pilot Study Exploring The Relationship of Hourly Time Expenditure on Medical Student Happiness.

IF 1.8 Q2 EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES

Medical Science Educator Pub Date : 2026-06-03 eCollection Date: 2026-08-01 DOI:10.1007/s40670-026-02758-9

Matthew Garr, Alexander Requarth, Zane Kaiser, Chris Wiesen, Kurt Gilliland

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Medical students face intense academic demands that often compromise well-being and increase burnout. Understanding the relationship between time allocation, happiness, and academic performance can inform strategies to improve medical student wellness.

Methods: This prospective study enrolled 26% (n = 49) of the second-year medical students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from September to December 2023. Participants logged their hourly activities into 29 predefined categories (e.g., sleep, exercise, studying, socializing, etc.…) and rated their happiness (1-100, where 1 = lowest, 100 = highest) at the end of each day. Demographics and examination schedules were collected. Data were analyzed using SAS to determine correlations between time expenditure, happiness, and curriculum structure.

Results: Multiple daily activities significantly correlated with happiness. At least one hour of exercise (76.08 vs. 74.49, p = 0.0055), family time (77.48 vs. 74.49, p < 0.0001), or socializing at home (76.54 vs. 74.32, p = 0.0001) correlated positively with higher happiness scores. Conversely, spending at least one hour studying (74.74 vs. 76.64, p = 0.0045), research (73.24 vs. 75.40, p = 0.0297), or TV/video games (74.54 vs. 76.97, p = 0.0002) were associated with decreased happiness. Test weeks showed significantly lower happiness ratings (73.9 ± 1.44) compared to non-test weeks (76.0 ± 1.35, p = 0.0138). Midterms and finals did not significantly impact end-of-day happiness, though slight decreases were noted before exams.

Conclusions: This study highlights the critical role of exercise, family time, and socializing in promoting happiness among medical students, while increasing academic workload detracts from well-being. The findings underscore the need for institutional interventions, including structured mental health days, curriculum adjustments, and wellness initiatives, to balance academic success and student happiness. Future studies should further explore these relationships to guide sustainable reforms in medical education.

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生活日志：医学生小时时间支出与幸福感关系的初步研究。

背景：医学生面临着高强度的学业要求，这往往会损害他们的健康并增加倦怠。了解时间分配、幸福感和学习成绩之间的关系可以为改善医学生健康提供策略。方法：这项前瞻性研究于2023年9月至12月在北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校招募了26% （n = 49）的二年级医学生。参与者将他们每小时的活动记录到29个预定义的类别中（例如，睡眠，锻炼，学习，社交等....），并在每天结束时为他们的幸福评分（1-100，其中1 =最低，100 =最高）。收集人口统计资料和检查时间表。使用SAS对数据进行分析，以确定时间支出、幸福感和课程结构之间的相关性。结果：多项日常活动与幸福感显著相关。至少一个小时的运动（76.08 vs. 74.49, p = 0.0055），家庭时间（77.48 vs. 74.49, p = 0.0001）与较高的幸福得分呈正相关。相反，花至少一个小时学习（74.74比76.64,p = 0.0045），研究（73.24比75.40,p = 0.0297），或看电视/电子游戏（74.54比76.97,p = 0.0002）与幸福感下降有关。测试周的幸福感评分（73.9±1.44）明显低于未测试周（76.0±1.35,p = 0.0138）。期中和期末考试对结束一天的幸福感没有显著影响，尽管考试前幸福感略有下降。结论：本研究强调了运动、家庭时间和社交在促进医学生幸福感方面的关键作用，而增加的学业工作量会降低幸福感。研究结果强调了机构干预的必要性，包括有组织的心理健康日、课程调整和健康倡议，以平衡学业成功和学生幸福。未来的研究应进一步探讨这些关系，以指导医学教育的可持续改革。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Medical Science Educator Social Sciences-Education

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

11.80%

发文量

202

期刊介绍： Medical Science Educator is the successor of the journal JIAMSE. It is the peer-reviewed publication of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE). The Journal offers all who teach in healthcare the most current information to succeed in their task by publishing scholarly activities, opinions, and resources in medical science education. Published articles focus on teaching the sciences fundamental to modern medicine and health, and include basic science education, clinical teaching, and the use of modern education technologies. The Journal provides the readership a better understanding of teaching and learning techniques in order to advance medical science education.