Dataset on Depression Symptoms, Health Behaviors, and Academic Characteristics among Medical Students and Resident Physicians in Ecuador

This dataset contains structured information on sociodemographic characteristics, academic context, lifestyle behaviors, and mental health indicators among medical students and resident physicians in Ecuador. Variables include age, gender, marital status, living arrangements, dependents, and self-reported comorbidities, as well as academic factors such as training stage, study hours, employment status, and night shifts.

Health-related behaviors are captured through alcohol consumption and tobacco use. Mental health is assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which measures depressive symptoms, and the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI), a 24-item instrument evaluating domains such as positive mental attitude, preventive behaviors, and health practices. The dataset includes both individual item responses and derived scores (total and subscales). Variables are recorded in a structured format, including categorical, ordinal, and continuous data types. A detailed codebook (Variables and Definitions) accompanies the dataset, specifying variable names, coding schemes, and scoring procedures.

Overall, the dataset enables analysis of the relationships between mental health, lifestyle behaviors, and academic demands in physicians in training.