Lone Ayoob, Hadadi Abdulaziz Shary, Alnawah Ahmed Khalid, Alshammary Alya Abdualrahman, Almutairi Razan Manei, Ali Sayed Ibrahim, Abid Naushad
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Alhasa, Saudi Arabia.
College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Alhasa, Saudi Arabia.
Front Psychol. 2025 Jun 25;16:1570557. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1570557. eCollection 2025.
Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) is a form of diurnal intermittent fasting observed by Muslims worldwide during the month of Ramadan. Previous studies have highlighted various benefits of RIF, particularly in healthy individuals, with positive effects on mood. Despite the physiological demands of RIF, limited research exists on its psychological implications for medical students-a population under considerable academic stress. This study examines changes in the mood of medical students during RIF and explores how these changes may vary according to demographic factors. This prospective study involved 108 medical students who completed the Brunel Mood Scale and demographic questionnaire at three distinct intervals: 1 week before, during, and 1 week after Ramadan. Data was analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance. The Wilks' Lambda test was employed to compare the means and evaluate the significant effects of RIF on mood. Statistical significance was set at < 0.05. The findings of this study revealed significant changes in mood during Ramadan. While anger levels remained relatively stable across all three-time points, with only a slight increase during fasting. In contrast, confusion and depression gradually declined, suggesting improved emotional well-being as Ramadan progressed, particularly after fasting ended. Fatigue and tension were highest during the fasting period, indicating greater physical and emotional strain. Meanwhile, vigor temporarily decreased during fasting but returned to higher levels afterward. Result of analysis of variance identified tension as the most significantly affected emotional state ( = 0.03). The analysis of emotional states across demographics highlights key significant relationships, with tension showed the strongest associations among the mood dimensions and was significantly affected by academic year ( < 0.01) and smoking status ( = 0.04). Fatigue showed significant effects across multiple demographics, including area of residence ( = 0.03), family structure ( = 0.01), sex ( = 0.04), income ( = 0.02), and smoking status ( = 0.01). Confusion was significantly influenced by academic year ( = 0.01), while depression showed significant relationships with income ( = 0.03) and smoking status ( = 0.04). These findings suggest that tension, fatigue, and confusion are particularly sensitive to demographic variations. The study highlights the complex relationship between RIF, emotional outcomes, and sociodemographic variables in medical students, underscoring the need for tailored interventions to support students' well-being during fasting periods. These findings provide valuable insights into the psychological impact of fasting in the context of medical education.
斋月间歇性禁食（RIF）是全世界穆斯林在斋月期间进行的一种日间间歇性禁食形式。先前的研究强调了RIF的各种益处，特别是对健康个体而言，对情绪有积极影响。尽管RIF存在生理需求，但针对医学生这一承受相当大学习压力的群体，关于其心理影响的研究却很有限。本研究考察了医学生在RIF期间的情绪变化，并探讨这些变化如何因人口统计学因素而有所不同。这项前瞻性研究涉及108名医学生，他们在三个不同时间段完成了布鲁内尔情绪量表和人口统计学问卷：斋月前1周、斋月期间和斋月后1周。数据通过重复测量方差分析进行分析。采用威尔克斯λ检验来比较均值并评估RIF对情绪的显著影响。统计学显著性设定为<0.05。本研究结果显示斋月期间情绪有显著变化。虽然愤怒水平在所有三个时间点都相对稳定，仅在禁食期间略有上升。相比之下，困惑和抑郁逐渐下降，表明随着斋月的推进，尤其是禁食结束后，情绪健康状况有所改善。疲劳和紧张在禁食期间最高，表明身体和情绪压力更大。同时，活力在禁食期间暂时下降，但之后恢复到更高水平。方差分析结果确定紧张是受影响最显著的情绪状态（=0.03）。跨人口统计学的情绪状态分析突出了关键的显著关系，紧张在情绪维度中显示出最强的关联，并且受学年（<0.01）和吸烟状况（=0.04）的显著影响。疲劳在多个人口统计学因素中显示出显著影响，包括居住地区（=0.03）、家庭结构（=0.01）、性别（=0.04）、收入（=0.02）和吸烟状况（=0.01）。困惑受学年（=0.01）的显著影响，而抑郁与收入（=0.03）和吸烟状况（=0.04）显示出显著关系。这些发现表明紧张、疲劳和困惑对人口统计学差异特别敏感。该研究突出了医学生中RIF、情绪结果和社会人口统计学变量之间的复杂关系，强调需要采取针对性干预措施来支持学生在禁食期间的幸福感。这些发现为医学教育背景下禁食的心理影响提供了有价值的见解。
