Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Academic motivation is crucial in education, it was also found to be associated with various health-relating factors, but it has yet to be well-applied in the admission process of most Vietnamese medical universities. This study aimed to describe students’ academic motivation and investigate the association between it and depression, anxiety, and quality of life at Hanoi Medical University. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on first and final year students of doctor and bachelor programs from October to November 2018 via a computer-based questionnaire. Academic motivation was assessed using the AMS-C 28 scale. The relationships between academic motivation and anxiety (screened by GAD-7), depression (screened by PHQ-9), and quality of life (assessed by SF-12) were analyzed using modified Poisson regression with robust error variances and linear regression models. RESULTS: Among 1723 participants (85.1% response rate), 57.1% were female, 58.4% were first-year, and 75.7% were in doctor programs. The percentage of non-self-determined students was 37.9% (95%CI: 35.3 − 40.5%). The proportion of self-determined students was significantly higher among female compared to male participants (65.1% vs. 58.1%; p < 0.001), among first-year compared to final year ones (68.9% vs. 53.0%; p < 0.001), and among those in bachelors compared to doctor programs (68.7% vs. 60.2%, p < 0.001). Our Poisson regression and linear regression analysis showed a statistically significant association between academic motivation and anxiety disorder (PR = 1.44, 95%CI: 1.03–2.01); depression (PR = 1.62; 95%CI: 1.27–2.06); and quality of life: physical (Coef = -1.47, 95%CI: -2.19 - -0.74) and mental health components (Coef = -2.45, 95%CI: -3.34 - -1.55). CONCLUSIONS: Female, first-year, and bachelor of health sciences students tended to be more self-determined. More self-determined students were found to have a lower prevalence of depression, anxiety, and higher quality of life. Academic motivation should be further studied to be considered as an admission criterion during the selection process of medical schools to improve the quality of medical education in the future. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-07368-4.