The relationship between physical activity and academic achievement in medical students: a single-institution...

Regular physical activity has been consistently shown to improve cognitive ability among populations of various age groups, including university students. This is particularly important among medical students, who face high academic demands and a relatively stressful environment. Some evidence suggests that regular physical activity has a positive impact on academic success during medical school. This study aimed to assess the relationship between physical activity and academic achievement among medical students in Sudan.

A descriptive, institution-based, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine in Omdurman Islamic University in Sudan. Medical students were recruited into the study using a systematic random sampling technique in the year 2020. Data were collected through a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science software version 23. Level of physical activity was stratified by gender, place of residence, and parental educational level. A correlation was sought between the level of physical activity according to the World Health Organization recommendations and academic achievement measured in grade point average (GPA).

A total of 295 medical students were interviewed of which 141 (47.8%) were males and 154 (52.2%) were females. The mean age of the students who participated in the study was 21.13 ± 1.42 years. More than 76% of the students were aware of the WHO recommendation of physical activity with statistically significant increase across the year of study (p < 0.05). Of the total 295 participants, 166 (56.3%) were physically active, while 129 (43.7%) did not meet the minimum recommended physical activity. Walking was the main type of physical activity and the leading barrier to regular physical activity was study load. The mean GPA in the physically active students was 3.09 ± 0.47, while the mean GPA of the physically inactive group was 3.16 ± 0.44 out of 4 (p-value = 0.7). No statistically significant relationship between the level of physical activity and academic achievement was observed.

We found that nearly half of the medical students did not meet the recommended level of physical activity. Moreover, regular physical activity during medical school was not directly associated with the students' academic achievement as measured by the GPA. Given the overall health benefits of exercise, however, further comprehensive research including various medical schools is recommended.