INTRODUCTION

Mental health plays a crucial role in overall well-being, yet stigma and misconceptions persist, even among future healthcare professionals. This study assessed medical students’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) regarding mental health and explored their association with sociodemographic characteristics.

We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study among 270 medical students at a private Philippine university from September to October 2023. Participants completed a validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation, and odds ratios were calculated.

Most respondents exhibited high knowledge (80.7%), positive attitudes (90.4%), and favorable perceptions (95.6%) toward mental health. Students who had not interacted with individuals with mental illness were 2.87 times more likely to display negative attitudes (OR = 2.87, 95% CI: 1.19–6.90, p = 0.015). Attitude and perception showed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.409, p < 0.001), while knowledge and perception demonstrated a weak negative correlation (r = -0.129, p = 0.034).

These medical students generally possessed good knowledge, positive attitudes, and perceptions regarding mental health. Academic progression and real-life exposure positively influence attitudes, highlighting the need for experiential learning to reduce stigma and promote empathy in medical training.

The increase in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines has created an alarming issue in high-density public places, such as schools and universities. Personal preventive behaviors that the students exercise play a big part in whether such behaviors prevent or only predispose them even more to contracting the virus. Several factors may influence the personal preventive behaviors of an individual. These include attitude, awareness, personal beliefs, and culture concerning the disease. Through outlining these several factors, the researchers aim to identify the main attributes that determine students’ preferred COVID-19 personal preventive behavior and implemented precautionary measures. The researchers used a two-part survey: socioeconomic and demographic followed by an orthogonal plan. The safety protocols implemented by the university were found to be the most important factor, followed by knowledge about the disease, communication channels, attitude, and social construct of the family. Thus, this follows that based on the attribute’s importance value, the students prefer safety protocols that are most implemented by the university while social construct of the family is the least preferred. These findings suggest that the safety protocols implemented by the university are the most important factor, hence, policy implementation and strengthening should be observed by the university.
COVID-19 ; Knowledge ; Perception ; Attitude

BACKGROUND

Students’ perceptions of their educational environment have been determined to influence their educational performance, behavior, and well-being. Assessing the students’ educational environment enables stakeholders to recognize limitations and opportunities for ensuring optimal learning experiences. However, no studies have yet explored the perceived educational environment of occupational therapy (OT) students in the Philippines.

Using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) instrument, this study assesses how occupational therapy students perceive their educational environment. Additionally, this study aims to identify strengths and weaknesses in the current educational environment.

This descriptive cross-sectional study utilized a records review of anonymized secondary responses from the Student Life Survey 2021. The DREEM questionnaire was employed to evaluate the perspectives of occupational therapy students in five domains, namely: students’ perception of learning, students’ perceptions of academic self-perceptions, students’ perceptions of atmosphere, and students’ social self-perceptions. Individual item and subscale scores were summarized as mean and standard deviation (SD).

With a total mean score of 124.12 ± 26.79 in the five domains, the OT students positively perceive their educational environment. Data analysis revealed the scores for the DREEM domains of Students' Perception of Teachers (30.50 ± 6.08), Students' Perception of Learning (31.11 ± 5.94), Students' Academic Self-Perceptions (20.37 ± 4.26), Students’ Social Self-Perceptions (15.58 ± 4.00), and Students’ Perceptions of Atmosphere (26.56 ± 6.51). Interpretation for each domain indicates that the educational environment is moving in the right direction, has a more positive approach, is feeling more on the positive side, is not too bad, and has a more positive atmosphere, respectively.

The study revealed a positive perception of the educational environment among OT students. However, there needed improvement in the areas of authoritarian teachers, the demanding program environment, and the overemphasis on factual learning. To guarantee that OT education in the country is of high quality, these findings can be utilized to inform the institution’s stakeholders regarding policy development, curriculum review, and future OT program development and implementation.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic has affected education systems worldwide. The disruption in education systems has impacted over 90% of the student population of the world (UNESCO, 2020). Electronic learning (e‑learning), a form of teaching which involves electronic equipment and tools permits interaction between people involved in the education process. An example of which is the webinars. Webinars allow large groups of participants to engage in online discussions or training events and share audio, documents, or slides. Objective: We aim to assess the perception of resident physicians on the use of webinars to support learning during COVID‑19. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study. An adequately powered paper survey was conducted among 123 resident physicians of St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City. A 5‑point Likert Scale was used for each of the questions in the questionnaire patterned after that of Nagar (2020). Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Results: Majority of the respondents gave favorable answers to questions on pace of learning/ flexibility (91.5%), cost (95.1%), convenience and comfort (95.1%), motivation (76.1%), ease of access (96.1%), visual perception (87.5%), visual difficulty (79.9%), audio perception (83.7%), Internet connection (61.8%), and navigation (83.7%), while Internet connection (28.5%) was seen with the highest disagreement. Conclusion: Our data support the acceptability of webinars among resident physicians in a tertiary private hospital as an alternative learning tool in this COVID‑19 era where face‑to‑face interaction or traditional learning is less likely to be employed. Recommendations We recommend future studies that can focus on the efficacy of the webinars in the improvement of knowledge and practice of medicine by doing pre- and posttests. We also recommend doing a similar study in government hospitals where facilities may not be on par with private hospitals.
COVID‑19 ; Perception ; Physicians

Objectives: Perception about Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine provides information about awareness on identifying disabilities and managing their impact on activities of daily living; however, misconceptions about the field continue to exist among both students and physicians. This study aims to describe the perceptions of clinical clerks and interns towards the practice and role of Rehabilitation Medicine in management of patients. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Students from the Learning Unit 6 and 7 of UP College of Medicine answered adapted online survey forms from a previous study and participated in online focus group discussions. Qualitative data were used to infer the perception of medical students towards the specialty. The effect of the respondent’s profile, background and affiliation on their knowledge, attitudes and perceptions were analyzed using One-Way ANOVA (α = 0.05). Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Learning Unit 6 and 7 students were found to have a perceived broad level of knowledge with regards the specialty. The students associated the specialty with focus on holistic care, quality of life, interdisciplinary collaboration, and diversity of cases managed. No statistically significant differences were found between the perception among: 1) Learning Unit 6 and 7, 2) those with or without a previous encounter with the specialty, 3) allied medical and non-allied medical undergraduate courses in terms of: a) confidence in the knowledge (p = 0.489), b) familiarity with conditions managed (p = 0.93) and c) interest towards the specialty (p = 0.693). The Organ System Integrated (OSI) curriculum, which promotes horizontal and vertical integration of concepts, provided a wide understanding of the basic concepts related to physiatry. The students’ responses suggest a positive attitude towards Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, as measured in their level of interest about knowing more regarding the specialty. Most common perceptions were that the specialty was multidisciplinary and holistic. However, the respondents’ perceptions regarding the roles of the Rehabilitation team were limited. Conclusion Learning unit level 6 and 7 students had a broad understanding of the practice and scope of the Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine specialty. Future researches can include other medical students in all year levels, including Learning Units 3, 4 and 5 of UPCM, to observe the development of their perceptions about the specialty throughout medical school.
Perception ; Students, Medical ; Curriculum

Background: Early marriage is a formal or informal marriage performed under the age of 19 years. In Indonesia, cases of early marriage have always been a strategic issue that needs to be addressed because it will have a long-term impact on the health of mothers and children. Objective: The study aimed to analyze the relationship of education, knowledge, perception, family support, and socio-culture to early marriage behavior in women in Banjar Regency. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using Fisher exact test with a 95% confidence level. The education variable was measured based on the respondent's highest educational level. The knowledge variable was measured using a multiple-choice questionnaire. The variable of perception used a list of statements with a Likert scale. Family support and socio-cultural variables use questionnaires with two choices (Yes/No). Results: The results of the analysis of 31 respondents using Fisher's exact test showed education (p-value = 1.000), knowledge (p-value = 0.097), perception (not identified), family support (p-value = 0.237), and socio-culture (p-value=0.296). Conclusion There is no relationship between education, knowledge, perception, family support, and socio-culture on early marriage behavior in Banjar Regency. This is because there are many factors that influence early marriage behavior that cannot be investigated in this study, such as attitude, economics, peer support, community leaders, and others.
Education ; Learning ; Perception ; Family Support

Humans ; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ; Prevalence ; Mental Disorders/epidemiology* ; Smoking/epidemiology* ; Perception

BACKGROUND

Rolling out palliative pain management had been challenging in the wards due to the hesitancy of nurses in carrying out opioid administration. Studies and daily practices in the hospital show that lack of knowledge, fear of handling opioids and low confidence are some of the barriers in managing palliative care patients efficiently. Through coaching and appropriate training, nursing knowledge, and confidence level in patient care are bolstered.

This study determined the effect of physician’s coaching in addressing hesitancy in opioid administration among QMMC nurses involved in palliative care.

This action research study utilized convergent parallel, mixed methods design with 28 ward nurses handling palliative care referrals. Participants were randomly assigned in the control (lecture only) and intervention (lecture with coaching) groups. Both groups answered a self-administered questionnaire and underwent interviews pre- and post-interventions. The intervention group had additional coaching prior to post-test and final interview.

Baseline characteristics were similar. The control (lecture only) and intervention (lecture with coaching) groups showed a significant difference in improved practices (p < 0.01) and increase in knowledge (p < 0.00) post-interventions. Qualitative analysis of post-intervention responses indicated increased confidence, reduced doubts, and a better understanding of opioid administration.

It is critical to remove the barriers to opioid administration in order to expand patients’ access to effective drugs. Increased knowledge and understanding resulted in a confident and informed attitude towards opioid administration. Continuing education with coaching can effectively minimize nurses’ hesitation to administer opioids.

Background: Healthcare providers must have the knowledge to carry out clinical procedures. Placing and maintaining intravenous (IV) infusion is one of them. To perform it, conceptual knowledge is an elementary requirement. Methods: This is a descriptive quantitative study using a self-administered questionnaire. Section A consists of four items detailing medical students’ socio-demographic data such as age, gender, ethnicity, and nationality. Section B includes 17 True/False items related to knowledge and understanding of peripheral intravenous cannulation (PIVC). Sixty-nine semester 6 medical students were recruited. The goal of the research was to determine their knowledge of PIVC and if there is an association between sociodemographic data and knowledge of PIVC. Results: All 100% (n=69) respondents were aware of self-introduction, clarification of patient’s identity, obtaining verbal consent, and hand hygiene importance. The majority (98.6%, n=68) had the knowledge to clean the insertion site before performing the procedure, aseptic technique maintenance, and gloves donning. More than half (53.6%; n=37) of respondents were not aware that an 18-gauge cannula was commonly used in adults for PIVC. Overall, findings showed 40.6% (n=28) of respondents have adequate knowledge about PIVC. There was a weak negative correlation indicating an association between socio-demographic variables and knowledge about PIVC (r = -.274, n=69, p<0.05). Conclusions The majority of semester 6 year 3 medical students in a private university in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, had good knowledge of PIVC. Teaching strategies by nursing lecturers can be improved further, for example, role-playing which can increase students’ engagement and encourage critical thinking. This is to ensure that medical students are equipped with sufficient theoretical knowledge as it is important to produce doctors with great quality, confidence, and calibre.
Knowledge ; Students, Medical ; Perception ; Universities

In light of the increasing use of online learning platforms in medical education, there is a critical need to assess the current state of online learning environments. Despite the global emphasis on digital education, limited studies have systematically explored how medical students perceive the effectiveness and quality of these environments, particularly in Pakistan. This study aims to fill this gap by evaluating medical students’ experiences with their institution’s online learning environments and identifying key strengths and challenges that impact learning outcomes. A mixed-method, sequential exploratory design was used, starting with a quantitative assessment followed by qualitative inquiry. Data from 253 medical students were collected via a survey, and 30 focus group interviews were conducted to provide deeper insights into the challenges students face in navigating the online learning environment. The findings revealed critical areas in need of improvement, including digital infrastructure, student engagement, and the accessibility of online resources. Qualitative data highlighted the need for more interactive and student-centred approaches to online education. By focusing on the status of online learning in medical education, this research provides valuable insights for educators and policymakers aiming to enhance the quality of digital learning environments. The study contributes to ongoing efforts to develop more effective, engaging, and responsive online learning strategies for medical students in Pakistan.
Education, Distance ; Education, Medical, Undergraduate ; Perception