Abstract
Background: Memory, is one of the most fascinating mental capacities for encoding, storing and recalling information. The memory loss is a problem that affects most people. Levels of mental health and well-being difficulties have been found to be high amongst students, with up to 29% of students reporting clinical levels of distress. Medical education can impose significant psychological stress on undergraduates. There are many causes of memory loss, whether it's an occasional forgetfulness or loss of short-term memory that interferes with daily life. Memory problems can be caused by several conditions, including: Brain injuries, dehydration, depression, anxiety, stress, Lack of oxygen to the brain, sleep deprivation, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism or even epilepsy and seizures.
Aim: In our research, we aimed to study the effect of different factors on memory among medical students.
Materials and methods: This was a cross sectional study carried out on 423 medical students at Taibah University in Medina, Saudi Arabia during June 2018. Ethical approval was obtained from the scientific research ethics committee at Taibah University prior to implementing the study. An electronic questionnaire was collected from medical students from all years and specialties. The data analysis was done by using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 22.0.
Results: In the total sample (n = 423), a positive correlation between specific diet and low score memory was found, Sig. (2-tailed) = .008. Use of smart phone was shown to be negatively correlated with high memory score (pearson correlation = -.085). Sleep problem variable F - 3.592 was sig at alpha <= 0.05.
Conclusion: In our research a positive correlation was found between dietary intake, sleeping habits, smart phones and memory affection is found. Establishing more researches and campaigns at malls, schools, universities and hospitals to increase the awareness among public about these factors are needed for a better quality of life.