Knowledge, attitudes, and reported practices of medical students and house staff regarding the diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism

Although alcoholism is prevalent in both general and inpatient populations, barriers to its timely diagnosis and effective treatment exist. These are often attributed to physicians' inadequate understanding and skill development and negative attitudes toward the disease. All Johns Hopkins' medical students and house staff, during 1986 through 1987, received a self-administered survey of their attitudes, skills, perceived role responsibility, knowledge, and reported practices with regard to alcoholism. Results indicate a strong relationship between perceived role responsibility, confidence in skills, and reported screening and referral practices among students and house staff. Knowledge levels strengthened the association between skills and practices for medical students. House staff perceived less of a responsibility for screening than medical students. There was a trend toward lower confidence and more negative attitudes among house staff than medical students. The results point to areas where educational interventions can be improved to enhance quality of care and outcomes for this major chronic disease.     

Knowledge of aging and attitudes toward older people. A survey of Australian podiatric medical students

Podiatric medical students in Australia were surveyed to evaluate their reasons for entering podiatric medicine, knowledge of aging, attitudes toward older people, perceptions of treatment efficacy, and desire to specialize in geriatrics. Few students plan to specialize in geriatrics upon graduation (4%), with most preferring general practice (25%) or sports medicine (21%). However, knowledge of aging was good, and students had favorable attitudes toward older people and considered treatment of older people to be effective. Few age- or gender-related effects were observed. It is concluded that students' lack of desire to specialize in geriatrics may be due not to unfavorable perceptions of older people but rather to the low profile and limited development of geriatrics as a specialty area within the podiatric medical profession.     

Low-dose intradermal vaccination of medical and dental students

In 454 medical and dental students who were vaccinated against hepatitis B by means of a low dose (0.1 mL) of serum-derived vaccine, seroconversion rates of 27%, 70% and 89% were obtained after the first, second and third doses, respectively. These figures are comparable with the results that have been reported for the conventional intramuscular schedule, as were the final antibody titres. A fourth intradermal dose boosted the percentage of students who were protected from 82% to 87%. There was a significant variation in the response to different batches of vaccine. This study shows that the low-dose intradermal method is practicable and effective and can be used to achieve great economy in hepatitis B vaccination programmes. The possibility of adding hepatitis B to the present formula of triple antigen should be investigated as a way of extending hepatitis B vaccination to all infants in our community.     

Knowledge and attitudes towards cardiopulmonary resuscitation among university students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge and attitudes towards cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among the students of King Saud University. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey among King Saud University students, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which took place on December 17-20, 2006. The data was collected via self-administered questionnaires prepared in Arabic. The questionnaires were distributed to all 15 colleges of the University. RESULTS: Out of a study sample of 2250 students, 31% did not have prior CPR information. Of those with previous knowledge, 85% feel that it is inadequate. The most common sources of information were television and movies. The 12.7% of individuals encountered a situation that required the use of CPR. However, only 14% of them performed it. This was mostly due to lack of knowledge (48.2%). Eighty eight percent of students would like to learn how to perform CPR. Out of all King Saud University students, 45% believe that CPR training should be a graduation requirement. CONCLUSION: It was found that the overall attitude towards CPR was positive. However, the knowledge on the topic was insufficient. Thus, more focus should be placed on the improvement of CPR skills. In addition, more studies are needed to assess knowledge and attitudes towards CPR in the community.     

Knowledge of medical students, residents, and attending physicians about opiate abuse

A questionnaire concerning knowledge of opiate abuse and attitudes about abusers was administered to 94 randomly selected physicians and medical students at a large urban teaching hospital. Physicians from four clinical departments and at each level of residency training and medical students in the final year were represented. The mean knowledge score was 3.3 out of a possible 12. Neither the level of training nor specialty was related to test score for the group as a whole. However, family practitioners gained knowledge with increasing experience, while medical and surgical specialists scored lower as they advanced in training. On the attitude section, physicians had strong but individualistic views about drug abuse. Level of training, specialty, and knowledge test score were on the whole unrelated to attitude. The results indicated that physicians at every level of training might benefit from improved teaching in the area of opiate abuse.     

医学生性行为态度及现状调查

目的：通过对某医学院校大学生性观念及性行为现状调查分析,为性教育模式和内容设计提供依据。方法：采用随机整群抽样方法,应用自编《大学生性行为调查问卷》对某医学院学生370人进行问卷调查。结果：该校医学生对婚前性行为的态度,男生接受率为71.9%,高于女生的52.6%（P〈0.001）;对爱情与性行为关系的态度,64.1%的学生认同＂先有爱后有性＂,性别间有差异（P〈0.001）;对同居的态度,女生不赞成的构成比为88.6%,高于男生的43.4%（P〈0.001）;12.1%的学生有过性经历,第1次发生性行为的年龄平均为（19.7±2.5）岁。结论：大学生的性观念、性态度已存在严重的自由思想和行为倾向,性别间差异较大,需有针对性地加强对大学生性行为的教育及干预。     

Do-not-resuscitate decision: the attitudes of medical and non-medical students

OBJECTIVES: To study the attitudes of both medical and non-medical students towards the do-not-resuscitate (DNR) decision in a university in Hong Kong, and the factors affecting their attitudes. METHODS: A questionnaire-based survey conducted in the campus of a university in Hong Kong. Preferences and priorities of participants on cardiopulmonary resuscitation in various situations and case scenarios, experience of death and dying, prior knowledge of DNR and basic demographic data were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 766 students participated in the study. There were statistically significant differences in their DNR decisions in various situations between medical and non-medical students, clinical and preclinical students, and between students who had previously experienced death and dying and those who had not. A prior knowledge of DNR significantly affected DNR decision, although 66.4% of non-medical students and 18.7% of medical students had never heard of DNR. 74% of participants from both medical and non-medical fields considered the patient's own wish as the most important factor that the healthcare team should consider when making DNR decisions. Family wishes might not be decisive on the choice of DNR. CONCLUSIONS: Students in medical and non-medical fields held different views on DNR. A majority of participants considered the patient's own wish as most important in DNR decisions. Family wishes were considered less important than the patient's own wishes.     

医学生对精神医学态度的调查研究

目的探讨医学生对精神医学的态度。方法采用包含22个条目的问卷对419名精神医学和临床医学专业学生进行了调查。结果绝大多数医学生对精神医学持有正向的、积极的态度,但是,医学生特别是临床医学专业学生对精神医学的认识仍然存在一定的偏差。结论对医学生加强精神医学的教育十分必要。     

高年级医学生性观念和婚恋观调查分析

目的 了解高年级医学生婚恋观和性观念。为健康教育和心理咨询提供依据。方法 采用分层整群抽样方法。对广东某医学院476名三、四年级学生进行问卷调查。结果 97.90%的学生对大学期间谈恋爱持赞成态度,84.87%的学生认为恋爱是婚姻的基础。59.87%学生认为恋爱目的是选择人生伴侣,在选择配偶时考虑的前5位条件是：诚实可靠（83.19%)、富有感情（82.56%)、受过良好教育（75.42%)、身体健康（75.00%)、长相好（50.84%)。67.44%的学生认为当今社会贞操仍然重要,70.80%的学生接受婚前性行为,32.14%的学生接受婚外性行为,多数观念存在男女差别。调查时32.58的男生和50.60%的女生处恋爱或恋爱前期状态。结论 高年级医学生大多有正确的婚词类观和性观念。但应加强教育。     

百色市医务人员的遗传咨询态度与地中海贫血预防

目的　评价百色市医务人员对地中海贫血(简称地贫) ,基本知识和遗传咨询水平和地贫预防情况以及培训后的效果。方法　对5 60名医务人员进行地贫基本知识讲座、提供地贫筛查的基本方法并建立地贫控制基层网点、制定控制地贫的基本流程、给全体临床一线医护人员发放地贫科普小册子、设立地贫专家组咨询电话随时回答基层医务人员的问题,在培训前后进行地贫问卷调查。观察培训前后医务人员地贫基本知识及态度的基线答对率、医务人员咨询作用促进的产前诊断及其效果等。结果　培训前地贫基本知识及其态度的基线答对率为5 8%±10 % ;培训后答对率为88%±8% ,χ2 =5 .41,P <0 .0 5。培训后医务人员遗传咨询作用促进的产前诊断例数比培训前提高了3 7% ,年均增加了4例(P =0 .0 43 )。每2 .7例产前诊断就有1例是由于培训后的医务人员咨询作用促成,避免了4例重型地贫儿的出生。结论　通过对各级医务人员的培训,提高医务人员地贫基本知识和遗传咨询水平,以及对高危地贫胎儿的产前诊断,避免重型地贫儿的出生。     

Knowledge and attitudes of female school students on medications in eastern Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge and attitude of female students on medications in Al-Khobar city, the eastern province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). METHODS: The target population consisted of the third-grade intermediate, and all the 3 grades of secondary school female students in the Al-Khobar area, KSA. A multistage stratified sampling design was adopted at the end of 2001. At the first stage, 13 schools were selected, of which classes were selected in each level using a simple random sampling design. All students in the selected classes were included in the study. The total number of selected students was 1331 females. RESULTS: The mean age of students was 16.1+/-1.7 years. Students from the government schools constituted 72.8%. Two-thirds of the students were in the secondary school grade. The Saudi single students constitute the majority. The study shows that self-administration of medications by female students was highly prevalent. Thirty-eight percent of the students have used over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Only 153 (11.5%) of the students used medications under medical supervision. Paracetamol was used as a painkiller during menstruation by a high proportion (576 students, 43.3%), while 43.5% used antibiotics during the previous year. Television was the main source of knowledge on medications and health. Age and knowledge of medication's side effects were the main variables found to be significantly associated with the use of antibiotics and OTC medications. CONCLUSION: Self-administration of medication was widespread among adolescent girls. There is an immediate need to better understand, and improve the knowledge and medications usage in the schools.     

对医务人员和大学生同性恋态度的调查研究

通过调查了解民众对同性恋的态度，以便推测取消同性恋诊断标准的可行性。方法 采用修订过的美国全国同性恋态度调查问卷，调查医务人员500名和普通大学生300名，将调查结果与美国当年的资料进行对比。结果 医务人员中57．2％的被调查者认为同性恋是病态，77．2％认为同性恋值得同情和理解，62％认为今后社会应该接受同性恋，而只有19．4％的人接触过同性恋。大学生比医务人员对同性恋的态度更加开放，资料表明我们比当年美国的民意测验对同性恋更加宽荣。结论 像世界卫生组织一样取消同性恋的诊断而保留自我不和谐的同性恋的诊断的条件已经成熟，这也是比较明确的作法。