Green Care as Alternative Therapy: The Situation in Ghana

Green care, an alternative healthcare system that involves the use of nature, is proven to be useful in the management of organic and psychological disorders worldwide. There are various forms of Green care including Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), a type where animals play pivotal roles in the healing process and is widely used in many developed countries. We assessed the level of awareness and attitude towards Green care among medical students of Ghana. Using a cross-sectional study design and a semistructured questionnaire designed on Google Forms, data were collected from randomly selected 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-year medical students of the University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana. The data submitted by 206 of the students were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Version 25, and the results were presented as frequencies, percentages, and charts. The association between sociodemographic characteristics of respondents and awareness about Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) was considered significant at p < 0.05 . The study found that only 7 (3.4%) of the medical students had ever heard of Green care while a higher number of 36 (17.5%) were aware of AAT mostly through movies and television. However, the majority, 122 (59.3%), had a positive attitude towards the introduction of AAT, into their medical training curriculum. Up to 146 (70.9%) of the respondents suggested lectures and practical sessions as their preferred way of acquiring knowledge and skills on AAT. Only the sex of the respondents was significantly associated with awareness of AAT, with females having a better awareness of AAT (28.6% vs. 11.0%, p = 0.003 ). We conclude that awareness of Green care practices among medical students in Ghana was highly inadequate, but the desire of the majority of them to acquire knowledge and skills in this proven alternative therapy makes its future use in Ghana promising.

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Attitudes of Israeli Medical Students Towards the Medical Treatment of Uninsured Migrants

10.21203/rs.2.12590/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Zohar Mor ◽

Adam Cadesky ◽

Ran Halleluyan ◽

Rivka Sheffer

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Clinical Training ◽

Medical Training ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Professional Responsibilities ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

Societal Expectations

Abstract Background: Undocumented migration to developed countries poses practical concerns, as migrants are not medically insured. This cross-sectional study aims to appraise the attitudes of Israeli medical students towards the uninsured migrant population. Methods: Participants from five medical schools in Israel completed anonymous questionnaires in Hebrew, based on the "Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward the Underserved" (MSATU), which assessed students' attitudes regarding the professional responsibility and societal expectations towards the migrants. It also evaluated students' views of the migrants as eligible for expensive medical procedures. Results: A total of 891 students completed the survey with a median age of 28 years. The majority were Jews (N=816, 91.6%) and singles (N=681, 68.5%). Participants in the pre-clinical years were likely to be female and unmarried compared to those in clinical training. They also demonstrated higher scores on professional responsibilities and societal expectations than students in clinical training, but no significant differences were found in their views on expensive medical services. Students of minorities (non-Jews and migrants) scored higher on professional responsibilities and societal expectations. The scores for professional responsibilities and societal expectations decreased as students progressed in their medical training (Spearman coefficient p=0.04 and p=0.01, respectively). This trend was more apparent in males rather than females. Conclusion: MSATU scores declined as students progressed through medical school, with females maintaining more favorable attitudes than males. Medical schools should attempt to maintain the enthusiasm and idealism that students possess as they enter medical training and provide clinical experience with migrant populations that allows for cross-cultural communication.

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Emotional intelligence in medical students at the University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana

Ghana Medical Journal ◽

10.4314/gmj.v55i1.8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 55 (1) ◽

pp. 52-59

Author(s):

Henry J. Lawson ◽

Makafui Yigah ◽

Phaedra Yamson

Keyword(s):

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical School ◽

Medical Training ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Male Preponderance ◽

The University ◽

University Of Ghana

Emotional Intelligence is a form of interpersonal intelligence. There’s evidence that high emotional intelligence (EQ) of a medical student is associated with better coping with the tedious medical training. We evaluated EQ in medical students in their clinical years. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS), Accra. In all, 111 students completed the questionnaires. Their average age was 24±1.5 years with marginal male preponderance. There were 37, 31 and 43 students in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd clinical years respectively. For global scores, 16 (14.1%) had good EQ (>120) with a mean total score of 105.49. The mean EQ for males was 104.2±17 an 106.2±12 for females, however this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.319). Mean EQ for 1st, 2nd and 3rd clinical years were 104.4±13, 104.4±20, and 107.1±12. This rise with increasing years was however not significant (p=0.659). EQ showed a weak positive correlation with age (r=0.1) but this was not significant (p=0.29). We report low EQ among students of the UGMS with no significant difference between gender, age and clinical year. EQ should be actively taught as part of the curriculum in UGMS. A larger study involving other medical schools in Ghana isrecommended.

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Attitudes of Israeli Medical Students Towards the Medical Treatment of Uninsured Migrants

10.21203/rs.2.12590/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Zohar Mor ◽

Adam Cadesky ◽

Ran Halleluyan ◽

Rivka Sheffer

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Clinical Training ◽

Medical Training ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Professional Responsibilities ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

Societal Expectations

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Conhecimento sobre Cuidados Paliativos em Estudantes de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra

Acta Médica Portuguesa ◽

10.20344/amp.12590 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 33 (13) ◽

Author(s):

Sofia Oliveira ◽

Luiz Miguel Santiago ◽

Marília Dourado

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Medical Students ◽

Informal Caregiver ◽

Medical Training ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Bad News ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

The University ◽

De Medicina

Introduction: The need for palliative care is increasing. Future doctors must be prepared for this, so it is essential to develop skills during their undergraduate studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of medical students at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra regarding palliative care.Material and Methods: An observational and cross-sectional study was performed through the application of a questionnaire answered by fifth year medical students. The collected data were analyzed using IBM® SPSS® Statistics, version 20 for Windows®.Results: All 186 students surveyed were aware of what palliative care is and recognized its importance. From the total, 52.7% of students reported they knew what an informal caregiver is and 96.8% disagreed that palliative care is only provided at the end of life; 88.2% have never had any training on how to deal with palliative care patients. Only 57.5% of students reported that they had been trained to communicate ‘bad news’, but 70.4% assumed that they were not able to communicate such bad news. On the other hand, 89.8% reported their inability to take care of palliative patients and 98.4% admitted that they needed more training in this area.Discussion: With the increasing number of patients who require palliative care, there is the need to investigate whether medical students are being adequately prepared to care for these patients and assess their knowledge level in this context.Conclusion: Fifth-year medical students know what palliative care is and consider it important. However, they do not feel adequately trained and ready to take care of patients who need palliative care. It is essential to reflect on how physicians should be trained and to reconsider the medical syllabus, given the present lack of undergraduate medical training in palliative care.

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Perceptions of Final Year Medical Students about Family Medicine as A Career Choice in Pakistan

Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry ◽

10.36283/pjmd9-1/023 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dur-e- Nishat

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Family Medicine ◽

Medical Profession ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical College ◽

Chi Square Test

Background: Family medicine is a field in which complete and detailed set of healthcare services are provided to the patients and their families. In developed countries, freshly graduated students choose family medicine as a priority for their career. However, in Pakistan it is not the case. The present study is undertaken to determine the perceptions of final year medical students’ about Family Medicine as a viable career. Methods: A total number of 504 students participated in the study. This was a cross-sectional study. The study participants were in their final year of medical college. Data was collected using a preapproved questionnaire. Data was entered and analyzed via SPSS version 17 and Chi-Square test was used post-stratification. Results: Only 14.3% (n=72) medical students had heard about Family Medicine. Only 18% (n=92) would select family medicine as a profession. The most frequent rationale for choosing the field of Family Medicine was the variety of patients seen in general practice (55.4% n=51). Conclusion: There is a dire need to focus on increasing awareness about the field of family medicine among medical students. The students should be counseled on the advantages along with the disadvantages of choosing this field as a medical profession.

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A cross sectional study: The association between sleeping quality and stress among second and third medical students at the University of Jordan

The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine ◽

10.1177/00912174211011287 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 009121742110112

Author(s):

AA Toubasi ◽

BR Khraisat ◽

RB AbuAnzeh ◽

HM Kalbouneh

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Regular Exercise ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Mean ◽

University Of Jordan ◽

The University

Objective Medicine is considered one if not the most stressful educational field. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of stress and poor sleeping quality among medical students and the association between them. Method This cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Jordan on second- and third-year medical students. The questionnaire consisted of: 1) Demographics; 2) The assessment tools which were Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index (PSQI) and Kessler Psychological Distress Status (K10). Binary logistic regression, chi-square and linear regression were used to investigate the association between PSQI, K10, and their determinants. Results The mean for PSQI score was 6.76 ± 3.32. PSQI scores interpretation revealed that 61.7% of the 282 participants of this study were poor sleepers. Logistic regression results showed that only the category of not napping at all from the napping hours variable was significantly associated with sleeping quality. Furthermore, the mean of K10 scores was 24.5 ± 8.5. K10 scores revealed that 66.3% of the participants were stressed. Logistic regression results showed that gender and regular exercise were significantly associated with psychological distress. Additionally, chi-square test, logistic regression and linear regression showed that PSQI was significantly associated with K10 (P <0.01). Conclusions Stress and poor sleeping quality in medical students at the University of Jordan were highly prevalent and strongly associated. What determined PSQI was daytime napping, and for K10 were regular exercise and gender. Further investigations into stress and sleep quality in the Arabian region are needed.

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Factors Associated with Physical Activity among Medical Students of Jazan University: A Cross-Sectional Study

Global Journal of Health Science ◽

10.5539/gjhs.v9n4p266 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 266 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Husam Eldin Elsawi Khalafalla ◽

Mohamed Salih Mahfouz ◽

Muath Hassan Ibrahim Najmi ◽

Sayyaf Abdullah Mohammad Najmi ◽

Qasem Ali Yahya Arishi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

P Value ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

High Prevalence ◽

The University ◽

Study Participants

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is one of the most important factors that affect human health; it reduces the chances of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast and colon cancer, and depression.OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to measure prevalence of physical activity and to determine the factors affecting the level of physical activity among medical student in Jazan University.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the students of medical colleges of Jazan University. A random sample of 419 was determined using most recent physical activity prevalence. A validated self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection.RESULTS: There is a high prevalence of inactivity among study participants (88.1%). Females (91.7%) were more significantly (p value=0.013) inactive than males (83.8%). The most influential barrier perceived by participants is (heavy) academic work as well as lack of places for physical activity; the latter factor being more effective in hindering female students' physical activity.CONCLUSION: Results revealed that the inactivity rate was very high among medical students. The results of this study call for a well-planned intervention at the university level for improving the level of physical activity among university students.

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MO1040KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PERCEPTION OF ORGAN DONATION BY STUDENTS IN MEDICINE

Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation ◽

10.1093/ndt/gfab109.007 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Imane Failal ◽

Sanae Ezzaki ◽

Rania Elafifi ◽

Naoufal Mtioui ◽

Salma Elkhayat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Organ Donation ◽

Organ Transplantation ◽

Arab World ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Bodily Integrity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Perceptions ◽

The Developed Countries

Abstract Background and Aims Organ transplantation is a treatment option to millions of patients worldwide. In this area, Morocco lags far behind the developed countries and even compared to some countries in the Arab world. The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge; social attitudes and perceptions of donation and organ transplantation by medical students. Method This is a cross-sectional study descriptive and analytical target held in the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of. Results 320 medical students were surveyed. The mean age was 21.5 ± 2.32 years, with a female representing 78%. Almost all surveyed students knew the lethal diseases requiring the use of the graft (99.8%) and 97% of them knew the transplantable organs. 92% had heard of the possibility of organ transplants in Morocco, 90% of students felt that there are many people in need of transplants 87% of students were aware of the existence of legislation governing organ donation in Morocco. Only 7% thought that acts of donation and transplantation of organs are performed in private clinics, 89% of respondents know that there is a book in which one can register to make known its agreement to give its organs after death, 81% do not know the steps to register for this registre.97% were for organ donation and causes of refusal were: religion and the attainment of bodily integrity Conclusion There has to be targeted actions in order to promote donation and transplant in Morocco in order to enhance knowledge and information on medical, religious and legal order that the attitudes and perceptions of the population live.

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Cross-sectional study of nutrition knowledge and attitudes of medical students at three points in their medical training at 11 southeastern medical schools

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.1093/ajcn/48.1.1 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

R L Weinsier ◽

J R Boker ◽

S L Morgan ◽

E B Feldman ◽

J F Moinuddin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical Training ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Nutrition Knowledge ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes

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Non-medical use of methylphenidate among medical students of the University of the Free State

South African Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v23i1.1006 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 5 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Roshini Jain ◽

Ch Chiech Chang ◽

Mpho Koto ◽

Alden Geldenhuys ◽

Richard Nichol ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Free State ◽

Specific Information ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

Questionnaire Response ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Training Programmes ◽

The University

Background: Faced with demanding training programmes, medical students may be more prone to use methylphenidate for non-medical purposes in order to improve concentration, alertness and academic performance.Aim: The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the non-medical use of methylphenidate and knowledge of this drug among undergraduate medical students of the University of the Free State.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was distributed during lectures to all students in the five year groups of the undergraduate medical programme.Results: Of the 643 undergraduate medical students, 541 completed the questionnaire (response rate: 84.1%). Approximately 11.0% of surveyed students were using methylphenidate at the time of the study, of which the majority (67.9%) used it for academic purposes and 70.6% received it from a medical health professional. Less than a third of users had been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Methylphenidate users’ median knowledge was greater than non-users, and methylphenidate knowledge increased from first-year and second-year students to third-year to fifth-year students. Median knowledge scores per year group ranged from 52.0% to 60.0%.Conclusion: Methylphenidate is mainly used for non-medical purposes by medical students. Students generally have a low level of knowledge on methylphenidate. Specific information on methylphenidate should be included in lectures on stress management and study methods during the course of the medical curriculum.

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