Risky behaviors amongst medical students within the United States

Speaker: Guang Xu 

Our study investigates risky behaviors among U.S. medical students as coping mechanisms for academic stress. Using an anonymous Qualtrics survey based on the CDC’s 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, data was collected from 561 students across 21 states during the 2023 fall semester. Results show that first-year students engage in fewer risky behaviors compared to second-years: 9.30% vs. 26.86% overall, with specific increases in alcohol consumption (10.47% vs. 21.71%), binge drinking (5.81% vs. 16.57%), recreational drug use (2.33% vs. 14.29%), worsened diets (20.35% vs. 40.57%), mental health professional care (19.19% vs. 44.57%), and new prescription medications (7.56% vs. 24.0%). Additionally, the percentage of students without diagnosed psychiatric disorders decreases from 95.93% in first years to 62.32% in fourth years. The study concludes that risky behaviors escalate as students progress through medical school and suggests that schools implement campaigns to highlight the dangers of substance use, potentially reducing these coping strategies.

Guang Xu, PhD, MPH, is an associated professor and course director of biostatistics, epidemiology, and public health at the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Marian University. Guang has been a mentor and a committee member for graduate students with biostats and public health focus. Guang also serves as the data analyst and/or Co-PI for colleagues as well as collaborators outside Marian University. Dr. Xu has published multiple peer-reviewed papers on public health, infectious diseases, immunology, and pharmacology. Dr. Xu has been invited as the reviewer and editor for multiple peer-reviewed journals including Emerging Infectious Diseases from the CDC. Guang was elected as the chair of statistics section and co-chair of the mentoring committee and panelist for the epidemiology at American Public Health Association.