Autonomic echoes of student life: a mixed-method inquiry with meta-inferential integration of autonomic function, lifestyle narratives, and health behaviours among medical students

Bhaskaran, Dharani; Anagppan, Suba; Vijayagopal, Logeshwari; Subramanian, Abeetha; Mourali, Chitra; Merlin, Daniel Dev

doi:10.2478/aiht-2026-77-4057

Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju, Vol. 77 No. 1, 2026.

Izvorni znanstveni članak

https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2026-77-4057

Autonomic echoes of student life: a mixed-method inquiry with meta-inferential integration of autonomic function, lifestyle narratives, and health behaviours among medical students

Dharani Bhaskaran orcid.org/0009-0003-2368-1697 ; Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Department of Physiology, Chennai, India
Suba Anagppan ; Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Department of Physiology, Chennai, India
Logeshwari Vijayagopal ; Melmaruvathur Adhiparashakthi Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Physiology, Melmaruvathur, India
Abeetha Subramanian orcid.org/0000-0001-6082-4755 ; Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Department of Physiology, Chennai, India
Chitra Mourali orcid.org/0000-0002-8460-6303 ; Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Department of Physiology, Chennai, India
Daniel Dev Merlin ; Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute, ACS Medical College and Hospital, Department of Physiology, Chennai, India

Puni tekst: engleski pdf 684 Kb

str. 49-56

preuzimanja: 40

citiraj

APA 6th Edition

Bhaskaran, D., Anagppan, S., Vijayagopal, L., Subramanian, A., Mourali, C. i Merlin, D.D. (2026). Autonomic echoes of student life: a mixed-method inquiry with meta-inferential integration of autonomic function, lifestyle narratives, and health behaviours among medical students. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju, 77 (1), 49-56. https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2026-77-4057

MLA 8th Edition

Bhaskaran, Dharani, et al. "Autonomic echoes of student life: a mixed-method inquiry with meta-inferential integration of autonomic function, lifestyle narratives, and health behaviours among medical students." Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju, vol. 77, br. 1, 2026, str. 49-56. https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2026-77-4057. Citirano 18.05.2026.

Chicago 17th Edition

Bhaskaran, Dharani, Suba Anagppan, Logeshwari Vijayagopal, Abeetha Subramanian, Chitra Mourali i Daniel Dev Merlin. "Autonomic echoes of student life: a mixed-method inquiry with meta-inferential integration of autonomic function, lifestyle narratives, and health behaviours among medical students." Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju 77, br. 1 (2026): 49-56. https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2026-77-4057

Harvard

Bhaskaran, D., et al. (2026). 'Autonomic echoes of student life: a mixed-method inquiry with meta-inferential integration of autonomic function, lifestyle narratives, and health behaviours among medical students', Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju, 77(1), str. 49-56. https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2026-77-4057

Vancouver

Bhaskaran D, Anagppan S, Vijayagopal L, Subramanian A, Mourali C, Merlin DD. Autonomic echoes of student life: a mixed-method inquiry with meta-inferential integration of autonomic function, lifestyle narratives, and health behaviours among medical students. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol. [Internet]. 2026 [pristupljeno 18.05.2026.];77(1):49-56. https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2026-77-4057

IEEE

D. Bhaskaran, S. Anagppan, L. Vijayagopal, A. Subramanian, C. Mourali i D.D. Merlin, "Autonomic echoes of student life: a mixed-method inquiry with meta-inferential integration of autonomic function, lifestyle narratives, and health behaviours among medical students", Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju, vol.77, br. 1, str. 49-56, 2026. [Online]. https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2026-77-4057

Sažetak

Medical students face intense academic and lifestyle transitions that can affect their physiological health and well-being. This mixed-method study explores the interplay between the autonomic nervous system activity, measured via heart rate variability (HRV) and lifestyle behaviours, measured with a 20-item questionnaire (LBQ-20) in 90 first-year medical students in South India. We also gathered narrative responses to understand subjective health perceptions and stress adaptation. HRV parameters, calculated individually for each participant and summarised using group-level means, indicate moderate overall autonomic variability (SDNN of 42.76±18.20 ms and RMSSD of 28.37±13.75 ms), while the mean LBQ-20 score of 9.46±3.16 indicates moderate overall adherence to health-promoting behaviours across the cohort. The correlation between the two is weak and non-significant. Thematic analysis of narratives highlight rigid academic routines, stress, poor sleep, and dietary challenges as major barriers to health. This study suggests that medical student well-being is shaped not only by personal lifestyle but also by systemic and psychological stressors.