Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and Academic Success of Medical Students in Minsk, Belarus

This article presents findings on the relationship between alcohol use and academic success of medical students. 265 medical students (107 males and 158 females) from the Belarusian State Medical University, Minsk (Belarus) were administered questionnaire, containing the AUDIT, CAGE, MAST, including other alcohol related questions. For analysis of academic success, “Academic Performance” questionnaire was administered. The number of students who reported consumption of alcohol was 74 males and 142 females. Alcohol users had lower academic success, compared to the non-alcohol users. The reported quantity (from r = –0.135 to r = –0.278) and frequency (from r = –0.139 to r = –0.201) of alcohol use correlated significantly with the GPA in different semesters. Linear regression of the effect of reported alcohol doses on the academic success of the drinkers revealed that the relationship was always negative and significant and, ranged from – 0.007 (p = 0.038) to –0.016 (p = 0.0001) GPA points per ml of pure ethanol. The linear regression equation dependence of GPA on per session dose of alcohol for all 265 students was modeled to be – GPA = 7.079 + (– 0.007) × Х, where Х is the reported per session dose of ethanol (ml); p =0.019 for the coefficient of regression (–0.007); p <0.001 for the value 7.079. Alcohol use was associated with decrease in academic success of medical students. This is the first study to investigate the relationship between alcohol use and academic success of medical students. Key-Words: relationship, alcohol, academic success, medical students, Minsk