Chridtian Adam L. Espiritu
University of Northern Philippines, Philippines
Title: Health status of international medical students of the University of Northern Philippines
Biography
Biography: Chridtian Adam L. Espiritu
Abstract
International students are vulnerable group of students because of several factors including language and culture barriers. With their growing presence, local officials are getting more concerned if their basic needs are met in the community. This study aims to determine the health status of international medical students of the University of Northern Philippines (UNP) as a tool for authorities to develop programs that can provide support for their health needs. The study showed relatively poor physical health, with 57% of the students have Body Mass Index (BMI) which are under or above the normal values. The study shows a high incidence of hospitalization over the last year (13.7%). Thirty-one percent of the respondents reported to have at least 1 chronic, permanent or recurrent illness with eye problems such as impaired vision and myopia (4.8%), as the most reported. The depression level was measured using the Goldberg Depression Screening Test and showed that 52.9% may have depression; 17.8% possibly mild, 5.8% borderline, 12.9% mild to moderate, 10.1% moderate to severe, and 5.8% severe. Finally, the stress level measured using Cohen’s perceived stress test showed 31.7% have low stress level, 57.3% have moderate stress level and 10.4% have high perceived stress.