Do our medical undergraduates need to develop research skills?  Assessing perceptions, attitudes and skills of medical undergraduates

Background: The development of research capacity at undergraduate level is essential to produce good quality researchers in the long run. The core curriculum must ensure that relevant and appropriate research expertise is attained by all graduates who are then provided with a suitable foundation from which they can develop such specialized research skills as may be required in their careers.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Terna Medical College, Nerul, Navi Mumbai from May 2016- September 2016. All students of second and third year who willingly participated were included in the study. Preformed pretested and validated proforma was used. For checking attitudes a standard attitudes towards research scale was been used which contained 32 questions.Results: 74.9% said that research methodology should be the part of curriculum. 37.7% said that they would like to opt a carrier as a researcher. 70.6% students either identified no opportunities, gave no response or didn’t know about opportunities. Biggest barriers identified were lack of knowledge (36.5%), lack of time (34.7%), lack of infrastructure (25.1%). Correlation coefficients between ATR sub-scales were also calculated.Conclusions: Students’ want to conduct research at undergraduate level and want incorporation of research methodology in curriculum. Lack of knowledge, time and resources are common barriers while opportunities, majority are not aware about it. Though students find research difficult and are anxious about it, they have positive attitude towards conducting research.

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Waist circumference and waist circumference to height ratios of Kaingáng indigenous adolescents from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2012001100005 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 28 (11) ◽

pp. 2053-2062 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Teresa Gontijo de Castro ◽

Laura A. Barufaldi ◽

Michael Maia Schlüssel ◽

Wolney Lisboa Conde ◽

Maurício Soares Leite ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Waist Circumference ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Rio Grande Do Sul ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

School Based ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Z Scores ◽

Indigenous Adolescents

The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of waist circumference (WC) and WC to height (WCTH) values among Kaingáng indigenous adolescents in order to estimate the prevalence of high WCTH values and evaluate the correlation between WC and WCTH and body mass index (BMI)-for-age. A total of 1,803 indigenous adolescents were evaluated using a school-based cross-sectional study. WCTH values > 0.5 were considered high. Higher mean WC and WCTH values were observed for girls in all age categories. WCTH values > 0.5 were observed in 25.68% of the overall sample of adolescents. Mean WC and WCTH values were significantly higher for adolescents with BMI/age z-scores > 2 than for those with normal z-scores. The correlation coefficients of WC and WCTH for BMI/age were r = 0.68 and 0.76, respectively, for boys, and r = 0.79 and 0.80, respectively, for girls. This study highlights elevated mean WC and WCTH values and high prevalence of abdominal obesity among Kaingáng indigenous adolescents.

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Determining Major Stressors for Students at a Private Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan, Using MSSQ.

10.53350/pjmhs211592880 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (9) ◽

pp. 2880-2886

Author(s):

Syed Hussain Raza Zaidi ◽

Sara Mukhtar ◽

Rahila Yasmeen ◽

Rehan Ahmed Khan ◽

Tayyaba Azhar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Student ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Mild Stress ◽

Undergraduate Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical Undergraduates ◽

Moderate Stress

Background: Undergraduate medical studies are tough and require long hours of study and thus can lead to significant stress for the students both physically and emotionally. Stress can affect a student’s mental wellbeing and can lead to anxiety, fatigue and depression. Medical undergraduates report a greater level of perceived stress then general population. We need to understand the stressors affecting the health of our students in order to prevent psychological and emotional consequences. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study using the Medical student stressor questionnaire (MSSQ) was designed to determine the different stressors that a medical student deals with during their educational career at the University College of Medicine (UCM) at University of Lahore (UOL). Student participation in this study was voluntary. 1st, 2nd and 3rd year MBBS students of UCM were included in the study. The questionnaire has 20 questions that determine the academic, interpersonal & intrapersonal, teaching and learning, social, drive and desire, and group activities related stressors. The students were further asked to answer questions related to their gender, study routine and physical activity. They were also asked about family and social support available to them. SPSS software version 23 was utilized for data analysis. Results: Data revealed that the 2nd and 3rd year students regard academic related stressors as the most bothersome for them, whereas the desire related stressors were regarded by them as causing mild to moderate stress. The remaining four domains were rated as causing only moderate stress. 1st year students graded the academic related stressors as the cause of most stress for them, while the teaching and learning related stressors, interpersonal related stressors and social related stressors were rated less than it. Drive and desire related stressors were regarded as causing mild stress. When we compared the data from all three years, we found that group activates related stressors were regarded as least stressful by 3rd year students. 3rd year MBBS students rated the intrapersonal & interpersonal stressors, social related stressors, drive and desire related stressors and group activity related stressors at a level that was lower than the 1st & 2nd year MBBS students. Conclusions: Academic related stressors and teaching and learning related stressors were rated as being most stressful by students of all three years. Institutions should take to make the learning environment less stressful for the students as continued stress can adversely affect the health and mental well-being of the students. Keywords: Undergraduate Medical Students, Stress, Medical student stressor questionnaire (MSSQ)

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The Reliability of Iodine Concentration in Diaper-Retrieved Infant Urine Using Urine Collection Pads, and in Their Mothers’ Breastmilk

Biomolecules ◽

10.3390/biom10020295 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 295

Author(s):

Kjersti Sletten Bakken ◽

Ingvild Oma ◽

Synne Groufh-Jacobsen ◽

Beate Stokke Solvik ◽

Lise Mette Mosand ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Urinary Iodine ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Iodine Concentration ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Iodine Intake ◽

Public Healthcare ◽

Urinary Iodine Concentration ◽

Childbearing Age ◽

Cross Sectional

Mild to moderate iodine deficiency is common among women of childbearing age. Data on iodine status in infants are sparse, partly due to the challenges in collecting urine. Urinary iodine concentration (UIC) is considered a good marker for recent dietary iodine intake and status in populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of iodine concentration measured in two spot-samples from the same day of diaper-retrieved infant urine and in their mothers’ breastmilk. We collected urine and breastmilk from a sample of 27 infants and 25 mothers participating in a cross-sectional study at two public healthcare clinics in Norway. The reliability of iodine concentration was assessed by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and the coefficient of variation (CV). The ICC for infants’ urine was 0.64 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36–0.82), while the ICC for breastmilk was 0.83 (95% CI 0.65–0.92) Similarly, the intraindividual CV for UIC was 0.25 and 0.14 for breastmilk iodine concentration (BIC). Compared to standard methods of collecting urine for measuring iodine concentration, the diaper-pad collection method does not substantially affect the reliability of the measurements.

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Validation and reliability of a simplified food frequency questionnaire: A cross sectional study among physical health examination adults in southwest region of China

10.21203/rs.2.23239/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Zhengyan Cheng ◽

Ping Shuai ◽

Qichuan Qiao ◽

Tingxin Li

Keyword(s):

Physical Health ◽

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Examination ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Southwest Region

Abstract Background In China, many people are apt to participate in regular physical examination as a precaution. Some simplified food frequency questionnaire have been designed and used. However, the effectiveness of questionnaire is absent. This study was conducted to examine the reliability and validity of simplified food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) used among physical examination adults in southwest region of China. Methods This study was a cross sectional study among physical health examination adults in Southwest region of China. A total of 239 participants aged 20-65 were conducted during February to June in 2019. The performance of the SFFQ was evaluated by the mean of three-day 24-hour dietary recalls (3R24). The relative validity and agreement was assessed by the Pearson`s correlation and intra-class correlation coefficients(ICC) respectively. Results The median energy-adjusted ICC of food groups between SFFQ2 and SFFQ1 was 0.59 (range: 0.49-0.73) and the ICC of nutrients was 0.47(range: 0.39-0.76). The Pearson correlation showed the validity between the SFFQ1 and 3R24, which ranged from -0.086 to 0.93 for food and and 0.21 to 0.71 for nutritions, respectively. Energy-adjustment slightly increased the correlation coefficients. Conclusions The reliability and validity of the SFFQ was acceptable. It could be an appropriate dietary assessment tool for future epidemiological studies in physical health examination adults among Chinese in southwest China.

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A Quantitative Comparison of Multispectral Refraction Topography and Autorefractometer in Young Adults

Frontiers in Medicine ◽

10.3389/fmed.2021.715640 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Yunru Liao ◽

Zhenlan Yang ◽

Zijing Li ◽

Rui Zeng ◽

Jing Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Correlation Coefficient ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

High Agreement ◽

Intraclass Correlation Coefficients ◽

Repeatability And Reproducibility ◽

The Mean

Purpose: Purpose of this study is to evaluate the measuring consistency of central refraction between multispectral refraction topography (MRT) and autorefractometry.Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study including subjects in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from September 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, ages 20 to 35 years with a best corrected visual acuity of 20/20 or better. All patients underwent cycloplegia, and the refractive status was estimated with autorefractometer, experienced optometrist and MRT. We analyzed the central refraction of the autorefractometer and MRT. The repeatability and reproducibility of values measured using both devices were evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).Results: A total of 145 subjects ages 20 to 35 (290 eyes) were enrolled. The mean central refraction of the autorefractometer was −4.69 ± 2.64 diopters (D) (range −9.50 to +4.75 D), while the mean central refraction of MRT was −4.49 ± 2.61 diopters (D) (range −8.79 to +5.02 D). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a high correlation between the two devices. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) also showed high agreement. The intrarater and interrater ICC values of central refraction were more than 0.90 in both devices and conditions. At the same time, the mean central refraction of experienced optometrist was −4.74 ± 2.66 diopters (D) (range −9.50 to +4.75D). The intra-class correlation coefficient of central refraction measured by MRT and subjective refraction was 0.939.Conclusions: Results revealed that autorefractometry, experienced optometrist and MRT show high agreement in measuring central refraction. MRT could provide a potential objective method to assess peripheral refraction.

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Nutrient intake variability and the number of days needed to estimate usual intake in children aged 13–32 months

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114516004657 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 117 (2) ◽

pp. 287-294 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Luana L. Padilha ◽

Ana Karina T. d. C. França ◽

Sueli I. O. da Conceição ◽

Wyllyane Rayana C. Carvalho ◽

Mônica A. Batalha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nutrient Intake ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dietary Recall ◽

Soluble Fibre ◽

Insoluble Fibre ◽

Usual Intake ◽

Program Version

AbstractThe number of days of data required to accurately estimate usual nutrient intake of children is not well established. This study aims to calculate the variability and the number of days required to estimate usual nutrient intake in children aged 13–32 months. This cross-sectional study, which is part of the BRISA Project in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil, involved 231 children from April 2011 to January 2013. Socio-economic and demographic data were collected using a questionnaire, and 3 non-consecutive days of food consumption were collected using a 24-h dietary recall (24HDR) survey. Intrapersonal and interpersonal variability and variance ratio (VR) were obtained for each nutrient using the Multiple Source Method® program (version 1.0.1). The number of days (d) needed was calculated using the formula proposed by Black et al. for different correlation coefficients (r) (i.e. 0·7, 0·8 or 0·9). For the vast majority of nutrients, intrapersonal and interpersonal variability values of <1 were observed, with even smaller intrapersonal variabilities, resulting in low VR (<1). More days were needed to estimate intakes of soluble fibre (12), insoluble fibre (11), total fibre (10), vitamin C (9) and PUFA (7), while fewer days were needed for energy, carbohydrate, SFA, Ca, Fe, P and Zn (all had 2 d for r 0·9). However, most nutrients required one, two or three 24HDR for r 0·7, 0·8 or 0·9.

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Psychometric Analyses of the Indian (Hindi) Version of the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ11–14)

Children ◽

10.3390/children7100175 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (10) ◽

pp. 175 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Santosh Kumar Tadakamadla ◽

Garima Mangal ◽

Mir Faeq Ali Quadri ◽

Maryam Nayeem ◽

Jyothi Tadakamadla

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Internal Consistency ◽

Concurrent Validity ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Repeated Administration ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Child Perception

The current research aims to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Hindi Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ11–14) in a child population of India. A randomly selected sample of children aged 11–14 years (n = 331) and their parents completed the Hindi translation of CPQ11–14 and the Parental-Caregiver Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ), respectively, in this cross-sectional study. Children also provided a self-rating of oral health and were examined for dental caries. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted to assess the dimensionality of the Hindi-CPQ11–14. Internal consistency and reliability on repeated administration were evaluated. Convergent and divergent validities were determined by estimating correlation coefficients between items and the hypothesised subscales. Concurrent validity was assessed using multiple linear regression analyses. The four factors extracted in EFA had a total variance of 38.5%, comprising 31 items. Cronbach’s alpha for the internal consistency of the overall scale was 0.90; reliability on repeated administration was 0.92. All the Hindi CPQ11–14 items had an item-hypothesised subscale correlation coefficient of ≥0.4, and these were greater than item-other hypothesised subscale correlations, demonstrating good convergent and divergent validities respectively. Hindi-CPQ11–14 was associated with self-ratings of the oral health and overall P-CPQ scores demonstrating good concurrent validity. Hindi-CPQ11–14 showed a factor structure different from the English CPQ11–14 and exhibited good validity and reliability.

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Evaluating the muscular strength, functional capacity, and risk of sarcopenia in elderly women who practice Mat Pilates

Fisioterapia em Movimento ◽

10.1590/1980-5918.032.ao22 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Daniel Vicentini de Oliveira ◽

Amanda Mansano de Souza ◽

Áurea Gonçalves Ferreira ◽

Mateus Dias Antunes ◽

Natália Serra Lovato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Latin American ◽

Functional Capacity ◽

Muscular Strength ◽

Elderly Women ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽

Level Of Significance

Abstract Introduction: Despite the importance of appropriate levels of muscular strength to maintain the functional capacity and a healthy life in old age, the current literature still lacks studies that investigate the profile of elderly women who practice Mat Pilates regarding these variables. Objective: This study aimed to analyze muscular strength, functional capacity, and risk of sarcopenia in elderly women who practiced Mat Pilates. Method: This is a cross-sectional study carried out with 50 elderly women who practice Mat Pilates in the city of Maringá, Paraná. Sociodemographic and health questionnaires were used, in addition to tests created by a Latin American development group for maturity called Grupo de Desenvolvimento Latino Americano para a Maturidade (GDLAM), sitting-rising test, arm curl test, and SARC-F questionnaire. For data analysis, Shapiro-Wilk and Mann-Whitney U tests, as well as Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficients, were used. The level of significance was p < 0.05. Results: The 70-79-year-old elderly women showed worse results in the functional capacity and muscular strength tests of the upper limbs and a higher risk of sarcopenia than the individuals who were under 70 years of age. Muscular strength was inversely related to the reduction of the risk of sarcopenia, and functional capacity was directly associated with this risk. Conclusion: A good functional capacity seems to be related to the reduction of the risk of sarcopenia. Age seems to be an intervening factor for reducing muscular strength levels and functional capacity and increasing the risk of sarcopenia.

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Attitudes and perceptions towards research among final year medical students in a private medical college of coastal Karnataka: A cross-sectional study

Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1708687 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 07 (01) ◽

pp. 007-011

Author(s):

Sanjay Kini ◽

Muthukumar R. ◽

Rakesh G. Maiya ◽

Nishanth Krishna K. ◽

N. Udaya Kiran

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Research Methodology ◽

Medical Curriculum ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Research Experience ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical College ◽

Attitudes And Perceptions

Abstract Introduction: Research experience gained by medical students during their under graduate tenure plays a significant role in their future endeavours in the field of medical research. The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted to know the attitudes and perceptions towards research among final year medical students in a private medical college. Methods: A total of 220 students participated in the study. Results: The majority of the students agreed that research is important in the medical field (88.6%, 195/220). The majority also believed that research methodology to be part of medical curriculum (72.7%, 160/220). 31.8% (70/220) felt that Research methodology will be helpful to enter competitive exams (USMLE, PLAB). The barriers for conducting research as believed by students were: Lack of interest (32.7%, 72/220), Lack of time (31.4%, 135/220), Inadequate knowledge about research methodology (51.4%, 113/230), Lack of guidance by faculties (27.7%, 61/220), Lack of research curriculum (34.1%, 75/230) Inadequate facilities for research (35.5%, 78/220), Inadequate financial support (30.9%, 68/220) and others 2.9% (6/220). Of the participating students, 23.2% (51/220) participated in research during medical school, while 76.8% (179/220) did not. Conclusion: Medical colleges should emphasize more on research among the undergraduate students. There is a need to reform the medical curriculum with more weightage towards research methodology.

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Knowledge of Chagas disease in a bolivian population living in Valencia, Spain

Journal of Epidemiological Research ◽

10.5430/jer.v3n2p7 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 7 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vanesa Salvador-Gil ◽

Ana I. Usero-Ruiz ◽

Julio Muñoz-Miguel ◽

Rafael Manuel Ortí-Lucas

Keyword(s):

Chagas Disease ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Total Sample ◽

Epidemiological Survey ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Medical Attention ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Means Of Transmission ◽

Lack Of Knowledge

Fundamentals: Migration movements between countries have enabled the extension of Chagas disease to non-endemic countries such as Spain, where only recently there has been awareness of this emerging global disease and procedures have been put in place for its management. The objective of this study is to determine the level of knowledge of Chagas disease, its symptoms, means of transmission and places where seropositive residents in Valencia (Spain) may seek medical assistance. Methods: Observational cross-sectional study of 96 Bolivian migrants living in Valencia (Spain). The sample was randomly selected and taking advantage of the bolivian elections in 2014. A specific epidemiological survey was conducted and screening blood tests were carried out using ELISA and confirmatory diagnosis by indirect immunofluorescence. After the bivariate analysis, logistic regression models were created to determine the variables that accounted for the lack of knowledge of the disease.Results: The prevalence of Chagas was 35.4%. However, 24% of the total sample and 26.1% of seropositive participants do not know about the disease and 70.8% of participants do not know about the symptoms of the disease. While 58.3% (41.1% of seropositive participants) ignore what the means of transmission in non-endemic countries are and 47.1% do not know where to seek medical attention. This ignorance is predominant in participants over 45 years of age and with lower levels of education.Conclusions: There is an important lack of knowledge of the disease which, along with the issue of a high prevalence, elevates Chagas disease into being a potential public health problem which requires specific control and preventive measures.

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