Abstract
Background: Anxiety is characterized by a persistent state of excessive worry, often resulting in compulsive behaviors. This study explores the relationship between preferred toilet paper position and anxiety symptoms in medical students. Objective: To determine whether toilet paper end position preference is associated with anxiety symptoms in medical students at the Fundación Universitaria Sanitas. Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted using a virtual survey. Sociodemographic characteristics, presence of compulsive behavior, and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the GAD-7 scale validated in Spanish. A bivariate analysis was performed to explore differences in GAD-7 scores in relation to toilet paper position preference. Results: The final analysis included 147 students (69.86% female; median age: 19 years). Sixty-six percent (n=97) showed a toilet paper position preference, predominantly outward. Anxiety symptoms were present in 83.56% of the participants; 17 were classified as having severe anxiety. Females placed more importance on the toilet paper position (p = 0.017). Those with this preference had higher GAD-7 scores (median 9 vs. 7 points; p = 0.004). Conclusions: There is a significant association between toilet paper position preference and anxiety symptoms. These compulsive behaviors may be related to other personality factors.
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