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Nutrition Education in Portuguese Medical Students: Impact on the Attitudes and Knowledge.
Mota, IB, Castelo, I, Morais, J, Anjos, M, Costa, JP, Dias, M, Fernandes, A, Leitão, I, Mohanlal, U, Campos, E, et al
Acta medica portuguesa. 2020;(4):246-251
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Nutrition has been underrepresented in the curriculum of many medical schools and therefore physicians do not feel adequately prepared to provide dietary counselling. The aim of the present study is to determine the impact of a Nutrition and Metabolism curricular unit on nutrition attitudes, knowledge and confidence on future clinical practice of medical students. MATERIAL AND METHODS All the students enrolled in the curricular unit (2017/2018) were invited to complete a questionnaire assessing their nutritional knowledge and eating habits at the beginning and at the end of the semester (n = 310). RESULTS Initially, students reported good eating habits and nutrition knowledge. These aspects improved at the end of the study. Moreover, students reported that they felt more confident to do dietary counselling after intervention. DISCUSSION Most medical students answered affirmatively to all questions related with good habits or eating behaviours, and the acquisition of knowledge had an impact in specific attitudes. After the Nutrition and Metabolism classes the students felt able to provide dietary counselling in different clinical settings, but none of the students felt extremely confident about their competencies for dietary counselling. This can be due to the fact that the students involved were in the first year of the integrated master's degree in medicine, which is a preclinical year, and thus distant from the medical reality and from contact with patients. CONCLUSION Nutrition education can have a positive impact on attitudes and eating behaviours, knowledge and in the perception of competencies for dietary counselling.
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A Multicentre and stratified study of the attitude of medical students towards organ donation in Spain.
Ríos, A, López-Navas, A, López-López, A, Gómez, FJ, Iriarte, J, Herruzo, R, Blanco, G, Llorca, FJ, Asunsolo, A, Sánchez, P, et al
Ethnicity & health. 2019;(4):443-461
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Medical students represent a new generation of medical thought, and if they have a favourable attitude towards organ donation this will greatly encourage its promotion. OBJECTIVE To analyse the attitude of medical students in Spanish universities towards the donation of their own organs and to determine the factors affecting this attitude. MATERIAL AND METHODS Type of study: A sociological, interdisciplinary, multicentre, and observational study in Spain. STUDY POPULATION Students studying a degree in medicine enrolled in Spain (n = 34,000). SAMPLE SIZE A sample of 9598 students (confidence of 99% and precision of ±1%), stratified by geographical area and academic year. Instrument of measurement: A validated questionnaire of attitude towards organ donation and transplantation (PCID-DTO RIOS) was self-administered and completed anonymously. RESULTS The questionnaire completion rate was 95.7% (n = 9.275). 80% were in favour of donation, 2% against and 18% were undecided. The following main variables were related to a favourable attitude: being of the female sex (Odds Ratio = 1.739); being in the sixth year of the degree (OR = 2.506); knowing a donor (OR = 1.346); having spoken about the subject with one's family (OR = 2.132) and friends (OR = 1.333); having a family circle that is in favour, more specifically, having a father (OR = 1.841), mother (OR = 2.538) or partner in favour (OR = 2.192); being a blood donor (OR = 2.824); acceptance of the mutilation of the body if it were necessary (OR = 2.958); and being an atheist or an agnostic (OR = 1.766). CONCLUSIONS Spanish medical students generally have a favourable attitude towards organ donation, although 20% are not in favour.
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Retinoblastoma awareness among first contact physicians in Jordan.
Yousef, YA, AlNawaiseh, T, AlJabari, R, Muhsen, S, Al-Nawaiseh, I
Ophthalmic genetics. 2019;(3):191-195
Abstract
Background: Early diagnosis and timely management of Retinoblastoma (RB) patients are essential to improve eye salvage and survival rates. The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of knowledge regarding retinoblastoma among first-contact physicians, namely students in last year of medical school, pediatricians, and ophthalmologists. Methods: A questionnaire about RB, preluded by a photograph of a child with leukocoria was completed by 138 medical students, 65 pediatricians, and 65 ophthalmologists. Descriptive statistics from the population were obtained and all answers were analyzed. Results: The majority (n = 253, 94%) of participants in the 3 groups recognized leukocoria as an abnormal sign. However, 62 (45%) medical students did not recognize it as a sign of a life-threatening disease. Only 3 (2%) medical students, 1(2%) pediatrician, and 9 (14%) ophthalmologists achieved a proficiency grade, compared to 136 (67%) medical students and pediatricians who failed to achieve the sufficiency score (70%) in this questionnaire. Ophthalmologists showed a better level of knowledge about RB than medical students and pediatricians, however, 27(42%) of them failed to achieve the sufficiency score. Of interest, only 72 (52%) of medical students, 41 (63%) of pediatricians, and 46 (71%) of ophthalmologists knew that RB needs urgent management. Conclusion: Most medical students and pediatricians involved in this study lack the sufficient knowledge to detect and timely-refer patients with signs of RB. It is necessary to develop continuous medical education programs for first-contact physicians.
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Medical students faced with related and unrelated living kidney donation: a stratified and multicentre study in Spain.
Ríos, A, López-Navas, A, López-López, A, Gómez, FJ, Iriarte, J, Herruzo, R, Blanco, G, Llorca, FJ, Asunsolo, A, Sánchez, P, et al
World journal of urology. 2016;(12):1673-1684
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The attitude of medical students towards living kidney donation (LKD) is of great interest given that they will become promoters of this technique in the near future. OBJECTIVE To analyse the attitude of Spanish medical students towards related and unrelated LKD and to determine the factors affecting this attitude. MATERIALS AND METHODS Type of study: A sociological, interdisciplinary, multicentre, and observational study. STUDY POPULATION Medical students enrolled in Spain (n = 34.000). SAMPLE SIZE A sample of 9598 students (99 % confidence and precision of ±1 %), stratified by geographical area and academic year. Measurement instrument: A validated questionnaire (PCID-DVR RIOS) was administered and completed anonymously. RESULTS There was a completion rate of 95.7 % (n = 9275); 93 % (n = 8630) were in favour of related LKD, and 30 % (n = 2784) were in favour of unrelated LKD. The following factors were associated with this attitude: (1) age (p = 0.008); (2) sex (p < 0.001); (3) year of university degree (p < 0.001); (4) a belief that a transplant might be necessary in the future (p < 0.001); (5) attitude towards deceased organ donation (p < 0.001); (6) a willingness to accept a kidney from a living donor (p < 0.001); (7) attitude towards living liver donation (p < 0.001); (8) a partner's attitude towards donation (p < 0.001); (9) having spoken about the subject with one's family (p < 0.001), or friends (p < 0.001); (10) pro-social behaviour (p < 0.001); (11) the respondent's religious attitude (p < 0.001); and (12) fear of possible mutilation of the body after donation (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The attitude of medical students towards LKD is very favourable when it is the related kind of donation, and it is associated with factors of general knowledge about organ donation and transplantation and social interaction and religion.
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Health-promoting factors in the freshman year of medical school: a longitudinal study.
Kötter, T, Tautphäus, Y, Obst, KU, Voltmer, E, Scherer, M
Medical education. 2016;(6):646-56
Abstract
CONTEXT The freshman year of medical school is a stressful period in the lives of future doctors. Resilience to this stress differs greatly, leading to different health outcomes. Less resilient students, whose health may deteriorate early in their education, are at greater risk for developing stress-related diseases. Early identification of individuals at risk and the provision of tailored health-promoting interventions might prevent this. OBJECTIVES This study was designed to investigate: (i) how the health of medical students develops over the freshman year, and (ii) whether certain protective factors can predict general and mental health status after 1 year of medical education. METHODS A prospective, longitudinal, observational study was conducted at one medical school. Self-rated general and mental health status before and after the freshman year were used as outcomes. In addition to socio-demographic variables and leisure activities, personality and study-related behaviour and experience were surveyed as potential predictors. Both descriptive techniques and logistic regression analyses were employed to identify predictors for general and mental health separately. RESULTS At baseline, 93% of medical students rated their general health and 88% rated their mental health as good. These frequencies declined over the first year to 76% and 84%, respectively. For general health, regular physical activity was the strongest predictor (odds ratio [OR] 4.58). Satisfaction with life (OR 1.18) and balance and mental stability (OR 1.20) emerged as positive predictors, and age (OR 0.85) and striving for perfection (OR 0.76) as negative predictors. Mental health status was predicted by emotional distancing (OR 1.25), experience of social support (OR 0.73), neuroticism (OR 0.89) and age (OR 0.85). CONCLUSIONS Self-rated general and mental health declined throughout the first year of medical education. Physical activity proved to be a strong predictor for the maintenance of good general health. This finding may represent a starting point for health-promoting interventions, such as the provision of time slots for physical activity.