Extracurricular activities and quality of life of medical interns
a cross-sectional study in Curitiba, Paraná
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-6108.2025.1.XXXXXKeywords:
medical education, extracurricular activities, quality of lifeAbstract
Aim: To analyze the relationship between extracurricular activities and the quality of life of medical interns, outlining their sociodemographic profile and identifying the importance attributed to these activities. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with medical interns from medical schools in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil, recruited through chain sampling. Data were collected via an online questionnaire. Sociodemographic variables, participation in extracurricular activities, and the importance attributed to them were analyzed. The Chi-square test was used for group comparisons, and Spearman’s correlation was applied to assess the relationship between the number of activities performed and the importance attributed. Results: A total of 149 medical interns participated, with a mean age of 24.3±2.5 years; most were female (69.8%), single (96.6%), childless (98.7%), enrolled in private institutions (89.3%), and attending the fifth year (54.4%). The most frequent activities were sports (85.2%) and academic extracurricular activities (85.2%). Religious (71.2%) and sports (57.5%) activities were most often rated as “very important” for quality of life. No statistically significant associations were observed between sociodemographic variables and the importance attributed to extracurricular activities. A weak positive correlation was found between the total number of activities performed and the number of activities rated as “very important” (ρ=0.371; p<0.001). Conclusion: Extracurricular activities play a relevant role in the perceived quality of life of medical interns, regardless of students’ sociodemographic profile.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Vanessa Bianchini Fernandes, Maria Roberta Bianchini Fernandes, Katia de Miranda Avena
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