Gender and Ethnic Differences in Stress and Lifestyle Factors Post COVID-19 Lockdown Among Medical Students

Introduction: Lifestyle choices can significantly impact students' stress levels, especially during the COVID-19 lockdowns. It is not known whether the management of lifestyle behaviours and stress factors post COVID-19 lockdown differs between genders and ethnicities in Malaysia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 345 medical students in a private Malaysian University willing to participate. The demographic details were collected after obtaining their consent for participation. Lifestyle and stress questionnaires were administered online, and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to analyse their lifestyle and stress factors post COVID-19 lockdown. Results: Male students tend to have a strict exercise regime (p<0.0001) and reported low alcohol consumption (p=0.002). Female students did less exercise (p=0.007) and experienced an increase in muscular aches (p<0.0001). They also tend to bring work home at night (p=0.032), have insufficient hours to do all duties (p=0.038), and have altered appetites (p=0.001). Both Indian (p=0.011) and Chinese (p=0.006) participants can still cope with the present working environment. Indian respondents tend to get sick more frequently than other ethnicities (p=0.043). Malay (p=0.007) and Chinese (p=0.024) respondents are less likely to experience muscular pain. Chinese students are less likely than other ethnicities to have sick parents (p=0.027), while Malay students have family members with illnesses like high blood pressure and diabetes (p=0.019). Conclusion: Developing targeted student support learning such as stress management workshops, time management training, and comprehensive wellness programs tailored to different genders and ethnicities could reduce stress and promote a healthier lifestyle.