Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: Lifestyle Habits that Favor Recurrent Infection in Medical Students

Abstract

Aims: Identify lifestyle habits and risk factors associated with CVV in medical students. Study Design:  Observational, cross-sectional, and quantitative study conducted between May and June 2025. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted through an online questionnaire which was applied for female students from the Medicine course at the University of Gurupi (UnirG), placed in Gurupi, from the state of Tocantins in Brazil. The responses were obtained from May to June 2025. Methodology: A cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted with 93 female students from the Medicine course at the University of Gurupi (UnirG), included and selected through intentional (non-probabilistic) sampling. Data were collected using a 20-question online questionnaire with mandatory responses, and analyzed through prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: The prevalence of VVC was 58.1%, and recurrent VVC (≥4 episodes/year) was 9.7%. Over half of those with previous VVC reported an increase in episodes after entering medical school (51.8%), and 32.2% linked episodes to academic stress. Negative impacts on sleep (90.3%) and diet (86%) were frequent, and 64.8% reported self-medication with antifungals. Poorer diet showed the strongest association with increased VVC episodes (PR=2.11; 95%CI: 0.57–7.86 ; P = 0,357). Negative impacts on sleep, not changing clothes after exercise, and staying up all night to study also showed PRs >1, indicating a trend toward increased risk. In contrast, academic overload and sleeping less than eight hours showed PRs <1, suggesting a potential protective effect. Conclusion: The study shows that the relationship between academic life, lifestyle habits, and recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis is multifactorial and influenced by individual and social factors. These findings highlight the need for educational strategies on personal health, rational antimicrobial use, and, when possible, psychosocial support for university students.