scholarly journals Comparison of Knowledge and Attitude among Medical and Dental Students Towards COVID-19

Author(s):  
Fareya Usmani ◽  
Saba Arshad ◽  
Nasima Iqbal ◽  
Zakia Saleem ◽  
Hira Mehmood ◽  
...  

Aim: To assess and compare the knowledge and attitude of medical and dental undergraduates towards COVID-19 in current setup Study Design: Cross-sectional Place and Duration of Study: Study was done at Ziauddin university Karachi during the period of October 2020 to December 2020 Methodology: Medical and dental students from 1st year to final year were enrolled in the study. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.71. The questionnaire was consisting of demographic variables, questions regarding the knowledge towards COVID-19 and the attitude of medical and dental students. Analysis was done by using SPSS version-20. Frequency and percentages was used to present the categorical data. Comparison between demographic variables and knowledge score was done by using the independent t-test and one-way ANOVA test as appropriate. p-value less than 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: About 56% of participants were female and from 3rd year (25.2%). Comparing with socioeconomic status, the upper class of medical students were having higher score. As the year of study upgraded the students reported higher knowledge score with significant p-values among both medical and dental students. Medical students were having higher knowledge about COVID-19 than the dental students but dental students were having more knowledge about the safety measures. Looking over the attitude, majority of medical students were interested in gaining information about COVID-19. Conclusion: It can be concluded that medical students are having more knowledge about the COVID-19 but the dental students were more aware of the protective measure which should be taken. Both groups of medical and dental students having positive attitude towards limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Author(s):  
Haris Hirani ◽  
Rabia Khurram ◽  
Nasima Iqbal ◽  
Ali Nawaz Bijarani ◽  
Afreen Bhatty ◽  
...  

Aim: To determine the knowledge and attitude of medical undergraduates towards COVID-19. Study Design: Cross-sectional. Place and Duration of Study: Study was conducted at Quaid-e Azam medical college from June 2020 to August 2020. Methodology: The undergraduate students enrolled in 1st year to final year of MBBS were included in the study. A proforma was prepared by using the Google Docs and validated before starting the study. The reliability of the questionnaire was 0.78. Data was analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version-20. All the qualitative variables were presented as frequency and percentages while quantitative as mean and standard deviation. Knowledge score was compared with demographic variables by using independent t-test and one-way ANOVA test, as appropriate. p-value less than 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: About 56% of the participants were female while remaining 44% were male, majority of them i.e. 51.6% were mediocre. Majority were from 3rd year and final year i.e. 25.2% and 24.4% respectively. Looking over the mean knowledge score the final year students having more knowledge about COVID-19 then the other students from different years, among them the female participants were having more knowledge score then their male counterparts with significant highly p-value. Comparing knowledge score with socioeconomic status reported that upper class was having higher score. Over-all 74% of final year students answered correctly to all of the questions regarding knowledge towards COVID-19. Considering specifically the attitude of medical students towards COVID-19, majority of the students including all years of MBBS, like to get more information about COVID-19. Conclusion: It can be concluded that Pakistani undergraduate students of MBBS are having good knowledge about COVID-19. They are also well-aware of the protective measures which should be taken. In comparison, final year students having the higher level of knowledge then the students of other years of MBBS. All the students having positive attitude for stopping COVID-19.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (S 01) ◽  
pp. S97-S104
Author(s):  
Saqib Ali ◽  
Beenish Fatima Alam ◽  
Faraz Farooqi ◽  
Khalid Almas ◽  
Sara Noreen

Abstract Objective The aims of this study were to investigate the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of Pakistani medical and dental undergraduate students toward COVID-19 during the surge of its outbreak. Materials and Methods The multicentered, cross-sectional study was carried out nationwide among undergraduate medical and dental students. A convenience sampling technique was used. A self-developed online questionnaire was pretested to be completed by the participants. It was distributed using social media. The survey was comprised of questions related to demographics, health status, general hygiene perception, understanding, and the learning attitudes of the students. Comparisons of the knowledge scores and the attitude responses with the demographic information were done using the independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Chi-square, as appropriate. Results Of the 937 total respondents, 353 (38%) were males and 582 (62%) were females; two students did not mark their gender. Of these, 680 (73%) were dental students and 257 (27%) were medical students. The mean knowledge score of the female dental students (5.15 ± 1.08) was significantly higher than that of the male students (4.87 ± 1.09). Overall, the mean knowledge score was statistically higher among the medical students in comparison to the dental students (5.21 ± 1.15, 5.05 ± 1.09; p = 0.054), respectively. Conclusion The medical and dental students were both aware of the importance of the use of a mask. The medical students had a greater awareness regarding the mode of transmission, symptoms, and origin of COVID-19. However, the dental students showed better understanding of the use of surgical masks and the correct protocol for hand washing. Social media was considered the main source for COVID-19 related information.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 30-35
Author(s):  
Bijaya Adhikari ◽  
Niroj Maharjan ◽  
Grishma Baskota ◽  
Archana Bhaila ◽  
Hari Sundar Shrestha

Background: Many researches in the past have proved that medical students experience elevated level of stress throughout their medical school life. Aims and Objective: The aim of the study is to study the prevalence and degree of stress among medical and dental students, find out the various stressors among them and the association of stress with various sociodemographic variables. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 159 medical and dental students of first and second year in Kist medical college and hospital. 81 medical and 78 dental students participated in the study. General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Medical students stress Questionnaire (MSSQ-40) was used. Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS version 25. Chisquare test was done to find the association of stress with various factors and to compare the degree of stress between medical and dental students. Results: Among 159 medical and dental students, 109 students (68.6%) were found to have stress. 48 out of 81 (59.3%) were medical students and 61out of 78 (78.2%) were dental students. Moderate stress was observed in 50/81(61.7%) medical students and 38/78 (48.7%) dental students. Similarly, high stress was observed in 10/81(12.3%) medical students and 11/78 (14.1%) dental students. Difference in the degree of stress between dental and medical students was not statistically significant (p value >.05). Academic related stress was the major source of stress in both medical and dental students. Gender, accommodation and motivation for study were found to be significantly associated with stress. Conclusions: The first two years of medical and dental students is stressful with academic related stress being the most prevalent stressor. Prevalence of stress was found to be more in dental students and the difference in the degree of stress between medical and dental students was not statistically significant.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-283
Author(s):  
Latifa Saleem ◽  
Hanan Mahmoud ◽  
Bobby Joseph

Objective: This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitude about oral cancer among undergraduate medical and dental students at Kuwait University Health Sciences Center. Subjects and Methods: Using a structured questionnaire, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 140 undergraduate Health Sciences Center students at Kuwait University, 70 were medical students and 70 were dental students. Students’ knowledge and attitude about oral cancer and its risk factors, in addition, their diagnostic concepts and opinions were assessed. Moreover, the students’ confidence in their ability to detect and refer clinically suspicious cases was evaluated and the responses were analyzed. Results: Of the 140 undergraduate dental and medical students surveyed, 131 returned the completed questionnaire (93.5% response rate). There was a statistically significant difference detected in the students’ knowledge about betel quid and smokeless tobacco as risk factors for oral cancer development. Also, there was a statistically significant difference in the students’ knowledge about the high-risk age group associated with oral cancer, the viral association with oral cancer, oral premalignant lesions, high-risk areas associated with oral cancer, and the warning features that can raise the suspicion of oral cancer. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in the students’ confidence and ability to detect pre-malignant lesions and their opinion in their faculty curriculum development.Conclusion: This study highlighted the importance of increasing awareness and attitude towards oral cancer detection by both undergraduate dental and medical students who are considered to be the future primary care providers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-220
Author(s):  
Ahmed Waqas ◽  
Aqsa Iftikhar ◽  
Zahra Malik ◽  
Kapil Kiran Aedma ◽  
Hafsa Meraj ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesThis study has been designed to elucidate the prevalence of stress, depression and poor sleep among medical students in a Pakistani medical school. There is a paucity of data on social support among medical students in Pakistan; an important predictor of depressive symptoms. Therefore, this study was also aimed to demonstrate the direct and indirect impact of social support in alleviating depressive symptoms in the study sample.MethodsThis observational cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, where a total of 400 students at a medical school were approached between 1st January to 31st March 2018 to participate in the study. The study sample comprised of medical and dental students enrolled at a privately financed Pakistani medical and dental school. The participants responded to a self-administered survey comprising of five parts: a) demographics, b) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), c) Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), d) Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and e) Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4). All data were analysed using SPSS v. 20. Linear regression analysis was used to reveal the predictors of depression.ResultsIn total, 353 medical students participated, yielding a response rate of 88.25%. Overall, poor sleep quality was experienced by 205 (58.1%) students. Mild to severe depression was reported by 83% of the respondents: mild depression by 104 (29.5%), moderate depression by 104 (29.5%), moderately severe depression by 54 (15.3%) and severe depression by 31 (8.8%) respondents. Subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, daytime dysfunction and stress levels were significantly associated with depression symptoms. Social support was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the regression model (Beta = -0.08, P < 0.09); however, it acted as a significant mediator, reducing the strength of the relationship between depressive symptoms and sleep quality and stress.ConclusionsAccording to our study, a large proportion of healthcare (medical and dental) students were found to be suffering from mild to moderate depression and experienced poor sleep quality. It is concluded that social support is an important variable in predicting depressive symptomatology by ameliorating the effects of poor sleep quality and high stress levels.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur-E- Alam ◽  
Md Shariful Islam ◽  
Umme Suriea ◽  
Ramisa Binti Mohiuddin ◽  
Md. Muzahidul Islam ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Thalassemia is one of the most common life-threatening yet preventable congenital hemoglobin disorders especially in South Asian regions like Bangladesh. It has become a rising public health concern for Bangladesh as 6-12% of the population are carriers and many of them are unaware of it. The purpose of the study is to inspect the knowledge and attitude towards thalassemia among the general people of Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in eight administrative regions of Bangladesh between January and October of 2020. A self-administrative close-ended questionnaire was designed to collect information about thalassemia and socio-demographic characteristics. Pearson’s chi-square (χ2) test and One-way ANOVA were performed to assess the association between the demographic variables with knowledge and practice regarding thalassemia. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant.Results: Of the 1623 participants, only 44.7% (726/1623) had heard of thalassemia. The mean knowledge of thalassemia was scored 4.75 ± 2.05 out of a total possible score of 10. Half of the participants had no idea that thalassemia was not a transfusion transmitted disease. About 73.1% knew that blood tests are a diagnosis process to determine thalassemia. The urban residing participants had the highest (5.10 ± 1.99) and participants with primary education had the lowest (3.38 ± 1.37) mean score of knowledge. Participants' knowledge score varied significantly by marital status, living pace, literacy and occupation (p< 0.05). However, about 68.2% and 85.5% of the participants showed a positive attitude towards premarital screening of themselves or their family members and donating blood to thalassemia patients, respectively. Conclusion: The study shows that there is a need to disseminate the information on thalassemia since the knowledge gap is huge among people. These findings will assist the implementation of significant steps such as educational programs, health counseling, premarital screening, campaigning, etc. to increase the awareness of thalassemia.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muneer Gohar Gohar Babar ◽  
Syed Shahzad Hasan ◽  
Lee Ping Lim ◽  
Phei June Lim ◽  
Nik Mohd Mazuan Nik Mohd Rosdy ◽  
...  

Objectives: This study compared the empathic behaviour of first year to final year dental and medical students in Malaysia and explored whether academic training of dental and medical students increases their subjective empathic tendencies. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 1020 first year to final year (fifth-year) undergraduate medical and dental students using a validated, self-administered Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Care Provider Student Version (JSE-HPS) questionnaire. The data were collected from first year to final year (fifth-year) students enrolled in Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree programs at 2 government-funded universities and one private university. Results: Dental students had a significantly higher total mean empathy score than medical students (84.11 versus 81.96, p < 0.05). However, medical students had a narrow actual score range (59.35 - 133.35) than dental (22.05 - 133.35) students. Males (Medical: 82.57, Dental: 84.97) and students of Malay origin (Medical: 82.52, Dental: 85.11) were more empathic than females and students of other ethnic origins. The results also indicate that third-year medical students (mean: 82.95) and fourth-year dental students (mean: 86.36) were more empathic than students in other professional years.Conclusions: We recommend the use of some form of active training and assessment to assist in the development of empathy in medical and dental students. Medical and dental schools should place more emphasis on teaching empathic communication.


Author(s):  
Ghaida Aziz, Ghaida jabri, Ghaida Al-Ahmadi, Mona Ehab, Marw

Breast feeding (BF) is known to have many advantages but our Arab region has a pattern similar to western countries; where exclusive breastfeeding less than 35%. Knowledge given to women during her antenatal visits plays an important influential role in her attitude and practice of BF later on.  Objective: To explore knowledge and attitude of female medical students at Taibah University about breastfeeding.  Methods: A Cross sectional study was carried out from October to November 2012. It included female medical students. Stratified sampling allocation technique was used; with a total sample of 149 students. A specialty designed self-administrated questionnaire in Arabic form was used. It included socio-demographic data, obstetric history, data about the knowledge and attitude of female medical students towards breastfeeding value and guidelines. Mean percent knowledge score for value of BF, mean percent score for BF guidelines and mean percent score for attitude were calculated. Appropriate statistical tests for qualitative and quantitative data were used accordingly. Results: Majority (91.9%) (of the studied sample) was never married and 37.6% got their knowledge about BF via books. Regarding ever married women, 58.3% only were gravid (mean =2.2±1.94). Only 25.0% were family planning users; 66.7% of them used hormonal contraceptives. Only 20% breast fed their infants with a mean duration for exclusive BF of 3.8 ± 2.87 months and mean age of weaning of 2.3 ±0.63 months. The mean knowledge percent score for guidelines of BF was 64.7±8.45. The mean attitude percent score for concepts related to BF was 76.9±7.91. Conclusion: Media and internet have minor roles in getting knowledge about BF. The mean knowledge score about advantages of BF, guidelines of BF and attitude towards BF of all female medical students; especially academic years were unsatisfactory.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pujan Acharya ◽  
Ratna Baral ◽  
Sajeev Shrestha ◽  
Dharanidhar Baral

Abstract Background: In academic institutes, dental students are not only involved in academic activities, but also in the management of patients’ care. This calls for inculcation of adequate knowledge and positive attitude among them so that a good clinical practice is implemented in the dental setting, thereby creating a safe working environment for students as well as patients. Thus, the study was conducted to assess knowledge and attitude regarding infection control among undergraduate dental students of B.P.Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.Methods: An online descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at BPKIHS from February till March 2021. Undergraduate students from third year, fourth year and internship were included in the study. A self-administered questionnaire comprised of demographic characteristics, knowledge and attitude regarding infection control was used to collect the data via a Google form. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the data. The p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence interval.Results: A total of 136 undergraduate dental students participated out of which 65.0% were females and 35.0% were males. Out of the total participants, 78.7% were found to have adequate knowledge while 74.3% participants showed ‘positive’ attitude. Mean age of the participants with adequate knowledge was significantly higher than participants with inadequate knowledge (p=0.047). The difference in knowledge among participants was statistically significant (p=0.001) in academic years. The majority (90.4%) of interns showed adequate knowledge followed by fourth year (83.7%) and third year (58.7%) students. The difference in attitude, was also statistically significant (p= 0.011) in academic years, but it was mostly (90.4%) of positive attitude in fourth year participants followed by third year (68.3%) and Interns (65.4 %).Conclusion: The present study reports adequate knowledge and positive attitude regarding infection control among undergraduate dental students in BPKIHS. Further studies are encouraged to be conducted among students from different academic institutes all over the country to ascertain their level of attitude and knowledge regarding infection control in dental care services.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pujan Acharya ◽  
Ratna Baral ◽  
Sajeev Shrestha ◽  
Dharanidhar Baral

Abstract Background In academic institutes, dental students are not only involved in academic activities, but also in the management of patients’ care. This calls for inculcation of adequate knowledge and positive attitude among them so that a good clinical practice is implemented in the dental setting, thereby creating a safe working environment for students as well as patients. Thus, the study was conducted to assess knowledge and attitude regarding infection control among undergraduate dental students of B.P.Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal. Methods and materials: An online descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at BPKIHS from February till March 2021. Undergraduate students from third year, fourth year and internship were included in the study. A self-administered questionnaire comprised of demographic, knowledge and attitude regarding infection control was used to collect the data via a Google form. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the data. The p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence interval. Result A total of 136 undergraduate dental students participated out of which 65.0% were females and 35.0% were males. Out of the total participants, 78.7% were found to have adequate knowledge while 74.3% participants showed ‘positive’ attitude. Mean age of the participants with adequate knowledge was significantly higher than participants with inadequate knowledge (p = 0.047). The difference in knowledge among participants was statistically significant (p = 0.001) in academic years. The majority (90.4%) of interns showed adequate knowledge followed by fourth year (83.7%) and third year (58.7%) students. The difference in attitude, was also statistically significant (p = 0.011) in academic years, but it was mostly (90.4%) of positive attitude in fourth year participants followed by third year (68.3%) and Interns (65.4 %). Conclusion The present study reports adequate knowledge and positive attitude regarding infection control among undergraduate dental students in BPKIHS. Further studies are encouraged to be conducted among students from different academic institutes all over the country to ascertain their level of attitude and knowledge regarding infection control in dental care services.


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