GENDER DIFFERENCES IN MENTAL HEALTH AND COPING STRATEGIES AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS DURING THE SOCIAL ISOLATION IMPOSED BY COVID-19: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

The isolation imposed by COVID-19 interfered with the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of medical students, reducing healthy habits such as physical activity (PAF). This study sought to determine the impact of the first wave of COVID-19 on the HRQoL of medical students and establish the relationship between the use of e-Health tools for PAF in mental health. This cross-sectional study involved medical students who responded to an online questionnaire during the social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil to report their sociodemographic data, health status, use of e-Health tools for PAF and HRQoL through the Short-Form Healthy Survey (SF-36). Multiple linear regression was performed to identify potential predictors. Medical students' mental health was affected during social isolation and gender differences were observed in most SF-36 domains. Women had lower levels of perception for social aspects, emotional performance, mental health and general HRQoL. The use of e-Health tools for PAF was positively associated with quality of life related to mental health. The results demonstrate that interventions through public policies are necessary to help vulnerable people who face mental health problems.