Lifestyle and health habits of fourth year medical students at the University of Western Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the lifestyle and health habits of two classes of fourth year medical students at the University of Western Australia.
DESIGN: Anonymous completion of the Fantastic Lifestyle Assessment Inventory (FLAI) by 173 medical students in 1987 and 1992.
RESULTS: Seventy-seven per cent of students had good health habits, but 23% did not. The most common areas of negative health habits were; lack of exercise, frequent consumption of junk food and skipping breakfast. Twenty per cent of students were almost always impatient, 13% always anxious, and 30% reported more than three stressful events in the first year.
CONCLUSION: Medical students are taught and examined about healthy lifestyle and health promotion. Those who personally ignore what they know may also be predisposed to ignore health promotion opportunities with their patients. The FLAI can be a useful instrument in raising students' consciousness about these two issues.