Healthcare-seeking of medical students: the effect of socio-demographic factors, health behaviour and health status – a cross-sectional study in Hungary

Table 1 Characteristics of respondents by Hungarian and international medical students

Characteristics	Total (688)		Hungarian (362)		International (326)		P
	N	%	N	%	N	(%)
Socio-demographic factors
Age (years)
18–25	596	86.6	326	90.1	270	82.8	0.005
26–37	92	13.4	36	9.9	56	17.2
Sex
Male	268	39.0	117	32.3	151	46.3	< 0.001
Female	420	61.0	245	67.7	175	53.7
Years of study
Preclinical	415	60.3	191	52.8	224	68.7	< 0.001
Clinical	273	39.7	171	47.2	102	31.3
Relationship status
Not in a relationship	425	61.8	181	50.0	244	74.8	< 0.001
In a relationship	263	38.2	181	50.0	82	25.2
Economic status
Low income	247	35.9	161	44.5	86	26.4	< 0.001
High income	441	64.1	201	55.5	240	73.6
Health behaviours
Smoking
No	533	77.5	285	78.7	248	76.1	0.405
Yes	155	22.5	77	21.3	78	23.9
Alcohol consumption
No	206	29.9	80	22.1	126	38.7	< 0.001
Yes	482	70.1	282	77.9	200	61.3
Sexual intercourse
No	324	47.1	151	41.7	173	53.1	0.003
Yes	364	52.9	211	58.3	153	46.9
General health status
Chronic disease
No	573	83.6	294	81.2	281	86.2	0.078
Yes	113	16.4	68	18.8	45	13.8
BMI
≤ 24.9 kg/m²	155	22.5	58	16.0	97	29.8	< 0.001
≥ 25.0 kg/m²	533	77.5	304	84.0	229	70.2
Self-rated general health
Good	460	66.9	240	66.3	220	67.5	0.741
Poor	228	33.1	122	33.7	106	32.5
Mental health status
Perceived stress scale (PSS)
Lower	545	79.2	276	76.2	269	82.5	0.043
Higher	143	20.8	86	23.8	57	17.5
Self-rated mental health
Good	338	49.1	174	48.1	164	50.3	0.557
Poor	350	50.9	188	51.9	162	49.7
Healthcare-seeking
Visiting a GP
No	297	43.2	153	42.3	144	44.2	0.614
Yes	391	56.8	209	57.7	182	55.8
Visiting a psychologist
No	570	82.8	290	80.1	280	85.9	0.045
Yes	118	17.2	72	19.9	46	14.1

ISSN: 1471-2458