Sleep Quality, Physical Activity, and Burnout with Short-Term Memory among Medical Students
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Abstract
Short-term memory serves as a temporary information storage system and plays a crucial role in supporting the learning processes of medical students. This study aimed to examine the association between sleep quality, physical activity, and burnout with short-term memory among medical students. An analytical observational design with a cross-sectional approach was applied, and 284 medical students from the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta were selected using a proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Data collection was conducted using validated questionnaires (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, and Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey) and the Scenery Picture Memory Test (SPMT). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and robust Poisson regression to identify factors independently associated with short-term memory. The results showed that the majority of students (53.2%) had good short-term memory. Bivariate analysis indicated that sleep quality (p = 0.028), physical activity (p = 0.046), and burnout (p = 0.015) were significantly associated with short-term memory. However, robust Poisson regression analysis revealed that only burnout remained significantly associated with short-term memory (p = 0.022). The pseudo R-square value of 0.060 indicated limited explanatory power of the model, suggesting that other unmeasured factors may also contribute to short-term memory performance. Short-term memory in medical students is influenced by multiple factors, with burnout identified as the main determinant. Therefore, the prevention and management of burnout should be prioritized, along with the adoption of healthy sleep patterns and regular physical activity to support cognitive health and academic performance.
References
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