Happiness index of medical students and related factors in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

BACKGROUND: Happiness is an important factor for everyone's good health and general well-being. Medical students need to manage a lengthy medical curriculum, clinical postings, and the stressful environment of hospital setting, which may have considerable effects on their happiness. No such studies have been conducted in the remotely located Andaman and Nicobar (A and N) islands. Hence, the current study was conducted to determine the level of happiness and associated factors among medical college students of the Andaman and Nicobar islands. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 315 medical students of the A and N islands. The happiness of students was measured using the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Among all the students, 42.5% were happy. There was a significant association between happiness and the relationship of students with family and friends, physical exercise, spiritual beliefs, the presence of stress, and traumatic events. The multiple logistic regression revealed that good relationship with friends increased the odds of happiness of students significantly with an adjusted odd ratio (OR) of 3.204 (1.641–6.257), whereas the presence of stress decreased the happiness of students significantly with an adjusted OR of 0.430 (0.254–0.730). CONCLUSION: Good relations with friends emerged as a positive predictor of happiness, whereas stress emerged as a negative predictor of happiness among the students. Hence, human relationships, stress management, physical exercise or sports, and orientation to spiritual health should be given emphasis in the medical curriculum.