A Prediction Model for Academic Performance among Students of Guilan University of Medical Sciences: Dimensions of Quality of Life, Internet Use, and Attitude toward Addiction

Introduction: Academic performance is not a univalent construct hence planning for its promotion among university students necessitates vast educational emprises. This study addresses factors such as quality of life, the students' use of internet, and their attitudes toward addiction and drugs which potentially play a role in academic performance of students, and represents a model. Methods: In a cross sectional study, consecutive sampling was performed on 106 students of Guilan University of Medical Science in 2010-2011 academic years. Every student answered a Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), attitude measurement questionnaire toward addiction, and the time dedicated to internet weekly. The last attained average grade of students was considered as an index for their academic performance. Data was analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson correlation and point biserial coefficient and multiple regressions (with Enter method). Results: Findings showed that these supposed factors totally explain 34% of shared variance of academic performance (P<0.01). In final model, internet use variable was excluded whereas dimensions of quality of life including physical functioning (P= 0.001), physical role (P= 0.002), body pain (P= 0.03), general health (P= 0.004), physical health (P= 0.001), and also attitude toward addiction (P= 0.001) could significantly predict the academic performance. Conclusion: Results indicated that some dimensions of students’ quality of life and also their negative attitudes toward addiction can affect the promotion of their academic success. Thus, it is necessary to plan health-oriented educational programs to enhance students’ academic performance.