Background: Medical education has shifted toward integrated, student-centered curricula. Mongolia’s School of Medicine adopted a vertically integrated block model, yet systematic evaluation through student feedback remains limited. Aim: To evaluate the quality of the block curriculum for the “General Medicine” program based on student satisfaction, and to identify factors influencing satisfaction with course content. Materials and Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire survey between January 2023 and January 2026. A total of 1,130 students (66.8% of the source population) were selected through stratified random sampling from 1,692 third- to sixth-year medical students enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine program at the School of Medicine, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences (MNUMS). The mean age of participants was 22.18±1.43 years, of whom 79.7% were female and 20.3% were male. Educational quality was evaluated across three domains: educational content (59 items), learning environment (59 items), and course organization (59 items), using a 5-point Likert scale (5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree, 1=strongly disagree). Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Differences between blocks were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD post hoc test. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine associations among domains, while factors influencing educational content were identified using multivariable linear regression analysis. Statistical significance was established at the 95% confidence level (p<0.05). Results: The questionnaire demonstrated high internal consistency across all seven blocks (Cronbach’s α=0.888–0.937). The overall mean scores were 4.00±0.78 for educational content, 3.91±0.85 for learning environment, and 3.92±0.82 for course organization. Block 6 received the highest ratings across all domains, including educational content (4.15±0.74), learning environment (4.04±0.81), and course organization (4.03±0.81), whereas Block 1A had the lowest mean scores (3.82–3.92). One-way ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences among blocks across all three domains (p≤0.005); however, the effect sizes were very small (Partial η²=0.003–0.006). Tukey’s HSD test showed that Block 6 was rated significantly higher than Block 1A in educational content by 0.226 points (95% CI: 0.103–0.349, p<0.001) and in course organization by 0.206 points (95% CI: 0.078–0.334, p<0.001). Strong positive correlations were observed among educational content, learning environment, and course organization (r=0.747–0.820, p<0.001). Academic year demonstrated weak negative correlations with all three evaluation domains (r=−0.033 to −0.045, p<0.05). Multivariable linear regression analysis indicated that learning environment (β=0.348, p<0.001) and course organization (β=0.487, p<0.001) explained 63.6% of the variance in educational content ratings (R²=0.636, F(2,5894)=5143.82, p<0.001). Conclusion The study findings demonstrated that students generally evaluated the content, learning environment, and organization of the integrated block curriculum positively, with higher ratings observed in senior-level blocks. The strong positive correlations among these dimensions suggest that they are interrelated factors influencing student satisfaction. Furthermore, multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that course organization and the learning environment had the greatest influence on the evaluation of educational content. These findings indicate that improving course scheduling, instructional organization, and the learning environment is essential for enhancing educational quality and students’ perceived value of the curriculum.

Background: Globally, medical education has been shifting from traditional discipline-based models toward student-centered, outcome-based, and integrated curricula. The Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences (MNUMS) has implemented a six-block integrated curriculum; however, evidence on how teaching methodology and assessment practices influence student learning outcomes within this framework remains limited. Aim: To determine the effect of teaching methodology and assessment practices on student learning outcomes in a block-based undergraduate medical curriculum. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from January 2023 to January 2026 among 1,130 undergraduate medical students (years 3–6) at the School of Medicine, MNUMS. A stratified random sampling method was applied, representing 66.8% of the target population. Data were collected using a structured 185-item questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc tests, and multiple linear regression using SPSS version 26.0. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s α=0.90–0.98). Results: The overall mean evaluation score was 4.00±0.73. A decreasing trend in scores was observed with advancing academic years, with final-year students reporting the lowest scores (M≈3.92). Significant inter-year differences were found in Blocks 3 and 4 (p<0.05), suggesting a potential gap during the theory-to-clinical transition. Blocks 5 and 6 showed consistently high and stable scores (M≈4.10–4.15). Teaching methodology and assessment practices were strong predictors of learning outcomes (β=0.289–0.610), with regression models explaining 67–77% of the variance (R²=0.668–0.774). Elevated VIF values indicated multicollinearity among predictors. Conclusion Teaching methodology and assessment practices were found to be decisive determinants of learning outcomes within the integrated block curriculum (R²=0.668–0.774). Although overall student evaluations exceeded the mean threshold, a systematic decline observed across advancing academic years reflects the phenomenon of retrospective critical evaluation, while inter-year discrepancies in Blocks 3 and 4 indicate insufficient curricular coherence during the theory-to-clinical transition. Therefore, it is imperative to further develop the curriculum in a competency-based framework, and to reform both teaching methodology and assessment practices in alignment with clinical competence requirements.

Background: Between 2017 and 2021, the prevalence of obesity among children aged 2-19 years reached 19.7%, affecting approximately 14.7 million children, with rates of 12.7% among those aged 2-5 years and 22.2% among those aged 6-11 years. Globally, dental caries is among the most common non-communicable diseases, often leading to pain, infection, tooth loss, and reduced quality of life. In Mongolia, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents has increased markedly since 2010, beginning at an early age. In 2018, one in six children under five years and one in eight adolescents were overweight. Aim: This study aimed to assess selected non-communicable disease risk factors among children and adolescents. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, using Family Health Centers across all nine districts. A total of 622 children aged 6–17 years were included. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, and waist circumference) were obtained, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Oral health examinations were performed to determine the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index. Nutritional status was classified based on age and sex-specific growth charts into normal weight, overweight, and obesity categories. Results: Among the participants, 10.29% (n=64) were overweight and 9.97% (n=62) were obese. Overweight was more prevalent among girls, whereas obesity was relatively higher among boys (p<0.001). Regarding dental caries, 37.6% (n=234) of participants had no caries (DMFT=0), 48.1% (n=299) had mild caries (DMFT=1-2), and 14.3% had moderate to severe caries (DMFT≥3). The overall prevalence of dental caries was 62.38%, with significant variation by age group: highest in children aged 6-9 years (69.9%) and lowest in those aged 15-17 years (46.1%) (p<0.001). No statistically significant association was found between BMI categories and dental caries status. Although normal weight predominated in the DMFT=0 and DMFT=1-2 groups, logistic regression adjusted for age and sex showed no significant relationship between BMI and dental caries. However, children aged 6-9 years had a significantly higher likelihood of having dental caries compared to those aged 15-17 years (OR=0.39, 95% CI: 0.24-0.63, p<0.001). Conclusions 1. Among the risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), overweight and obesity were highly prevalent among children, with one in every five children classified as overweight or obese. The prevalence among male children was approximately two times higher than that among female children (p<0.001). 2. The prevalence of dental caries among the study participants was 90.7%, with a mean caries intensity of 6.4, indicating high level of severity. Age-group analysis demonstrated that children aged 6–10 years exhibited the highest prevalence and severity of dental caries, with a prevalence of 93.5% and a mean caries intensity of 7.3.

Introduction: In 2020, about 3% of children and 5% of adolescents had metabolic syndrome, with some variation across countries and regions. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 5-19 years has increased sharply from only 8% in 1990 to 20% in 2022. 3-5% of children and adolescents have hypertension, 10% 14% have changes in arterial pressure, and the prevalence has increased from 1.3% -6.0% These risk factors can lead to MetS, and although there are several studies by national researchers in adults, research on risk factors for MetS in childhood is rare. Aim: To evaluate the physical growth of children aged 6-17 and study the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among them. Materials and methods: A family health center-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted in the apartment district and ger district of Ulaanbaatar, using standardised measurement tools. A total of 622 participants aged 6-17 years were included in this study. Body weight, height, waist circumference, arterial blood pressure, and blood glucose of the participants were measured and the results of body measurements were estimated using the growth chart. Results and conclusions Among the participants, 48.2% (n=300) were male, 51.8% (n=322) were female. The rate of overweight and obesity among the study population is 20.26%, and male children are 2 times more obese than female children. 7.23% of the study participants. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 1% with 3 risk criteria according to the IDF 78.93% (n=491) have no risk, 19.33% (n=121) have 1 risk, and 0.48% (n=4) have 2 risks. Among the studied risk factors for metabolic syndrome, overweight, obesity, and central obesity were the predominant risk factors among children. One in five children is either overweight or obese, with boys being twice as likely to experience these conditions (p<0.001). In 1% of the study participants, metabolic syndrome with three risk factors was identified. Overweight, obesity, and metabolic syndrome were more prevalent among the 15-17 age group compared to other age groups (p<0.001).