Prevalence of Impulsive Behaviour among Students in a Medical College: A Cross-sectional Study from Southern India

Introduction: Impulsive behaviour is the urge to act without thinking in any critical situation. Impulsive behaviour and risk-taking behaviour in adolescence have the chance of disrupting the balance of their entire lives. Studies and research related to impulsive behaviour are minimal and remain a blind area for any effective interventions to be applied. Aim: To study the prevalence of impulsive behaviour and to determine the factors associated with impulsive behaviour among Medical College Students in Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 133 medical students of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital in Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, India, from January 2022 to April 2022. All undergraduate students, present in the college at the time of the study, were enrolled in the study. A pre-tested, validated, semi- structured questionnaire was used and the data was collected during the break hours in the morning and afternoon during the college working hours on the weekdays. The obtained data were analysed using statistical tests like paired t-test, unpaired independent t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results: Total of 133 Medical students ( mean age: 21.21 +/- 1.58 years, 66 ( 49.6%) males and 67 ( 50.4%) females) were included in the study and analysed. The factors such as age (M +/- SD: 21.21 +/- 1.58 years with p-value 0.01), Usage of mobile phone (M +/- SD: 4.94 +/- 2.31 hours with p- value 0.01), fear for exam (M +/- SD: 2.20 +/- 0.58 with p- value 0.03), sleeplessness (M +/- SD: 2.89 +/- 0.59 with p-value 0.001) were associated with impulsive behaviour. Conclusion: The impulsive behaviour of a student is influenced by his fear of exams, his lack of sleep, and his usage of mobile phones. Assessment of a person with impulsive behaviour could help in the better prognosis and early intervention of young adult mental disorders.