Final Questionnaire Research Articles

A mixed methods, longitudinal study: characterizing the differences in engagement and perceived learning of medical students in online and in-person team-based learning classes

Background: The rapid transition to online delivery of medical curriculum has facilitated the continuation of medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst active learning approaches, including Team-Based Learning (TBL), are generally more supportive of the learner’s needs during such transition, it remains elusive how different learning environments affect a learner’s motivation, engagement, and perceived learning over a prolonged period. We leveraged on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and key learners’ characteristics to explore the levels of student’s engagement and perceived learning in two TBL learning environments, online and in-person, over an extended period. We hypothesize that students’ self-reported perceptions of engagement and learning will be lower in online compared to in-person TBL classes. Methods: This is a mixed methods study with 49 preclinical graduate medical students completing the same questionnaire twice for each learning environment, online TBL and in-person TBL, over an eight-month period. Quantitative data were collected on learners’ characteristics, basic psychological needs satisfaction, motivation, student’s engagement and perceived learning. The final questionnaire also explored participants’ perception on which learning environment better supported their learning. Results: We found that autonomy support, perceived competence and needs satisfaction, and perceived learning were higher in-person than online. Additionally, most learners felt that in-person TBL was better for learning, as the concepts of learning space and the community of practice were mediated by being in-person. Conclusions: TBL, being an active instructional method, can maintain students’ engagement because it supports many aspects of SDT constructs and perceived learning. However, online TBL is unable to fully support the students’ needs and perceived learning. Hence, we strongly advocate for any in-person opportunities to be included in a course, as in-person classes best supports students’ engagement and perceived learning.

The effect of screen use on sleep quality among adolescents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Insufficient sleep associated with daytime sleepiness is predominant among the pediatric population and upsurges during adolescence. Prolonged screen use is theorized to harmfully disturb sleep through numerous pathways. Though, the connotation between media device use and poor sleep has been inadequately assessed due to the rapid development of these devices which has outdone research abilities. This study aims to assess the effect of screen use on sleep quality among adolescents in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out using a self-administered online questionnaire targeting all accessible Saudi adolescents in Riyadh. The final questionnaire was uploaded online using social media platforms by distributing at high schools and primary health care centers. The study questionnaire covered adolescent's personal data, medical history, screen use including the type of used devices, duration of use per day and at bedtime, effect of using devices, and family and friends' influence on using devices. Sleep quality was assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. A total of 324 adolescents fulfilling the inclusion criteria completed the study questionnaire. Adolescents' ages ranged from 16 to 19 years with a mean age of 17.5 ± 1.1 years old. Exact of 113 (34.9%), the study adolescents used screens for 6-8 hours on a daily basis, 111 (34.3%) use screens for more than 8 hours daily. A total of 154 (47.5%) of the study adolescents were good sleepers while 170 (52.5%) were poor sleepers. In conclusion, the study revealed that adolescents in Riyadh had a high frequency rate and duration of screen use which may exceed 6 hours daily with nearly half of them with poor sleep quality, feeling fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and lack of concentration.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Persian Version of the Functional Arm Scale for Throwers.

The Functional Arm Scale for Throwers (FAST) is a reliable and valid region-specific tool designed to evaluate health-related quality of life in throwing athletes with upper-extremity injuries. The purpose of this study was to adapt, translate, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Functional Arm Scale (FAST-Persian) for use in throwing athletes. The study was conducted based on 5 steps of cross-cultural adaptation including forward translation, synthesis, backward translation, expert committee review, and pretesting. The final Persian questionnaire, along with Persian versions of Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand and Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic questionnaires, was completed by 177 throwing athletes for validity analysis. After 7 to 14days, the FAST-Persian was reanswered by 80 throwers, who had no changes in this time interval. Internal consistency and test retest reliability were used to evaluate reliability of the questionnaire. Standard error of measurement and smallest detectable changes were also calculated. Construct validity was determined by correlational analysis with Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand and Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic questionnaires. Dimensionality was evaluated with factor analysis. Cronbachs alpha was .99, and the interclass correlation coefficient levels for total score and 5 subscales of the FAST-Persian ranged between .98 and .99. The standard error of measurement and smallest detectable changes were 3.17 and 8.80, respectively. The FAST-Persian had a high correlation with Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (r = .98, P < .0001) and Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic (r = .98, P < .0001) scores. Factor analysis revealed one factor with a total variance of 75.23%. The FAST-Persian is a reliable and valid measurement tool that can be used to evaluate health-related quality of life in overhead athletes and throwers.

E-Wallet Attractiveness among Generation Z during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has made people start to move to non-cash transactions. This study aimed to find out the attractiveness of e-wallet for gen Z during this pandemic. The research questionnaire was constructed based on literature reviews, previous research as well as in-depth interview with several people from gen Z. After the validity and reliability tests were carried out, the final questionnaire containing 34 question items was distributed to 328 respondents online using convenience and snowball sampling methods. Factor analysis technique was carried out and obtained five factors that make e-wallet attractive according to gen Z: functionality, reputation, accessibility, promotion, and money management.

Diet and bowel function in children with Hirschsprung’s disease: development and content validation of a patient-reported questionnaire

BackgroundAlthough dietary adjustments are recommended frequently for bowel symptoms, evidence of diet’s impact on bowel function is lacking. The aim was to develop a patient-reported outcome instrument, for children with and without Hirschsprung’s disease (HD), to explore experiences of dietary effects on bowel function.MethodsChildren with and without HD and their parents participated. Questionnaire items regarding the impact of diet on bowel function originated from focus group discussions. Specific food items, reported in the literature or in focus groups to cause bowel functional effects, were listed requesting each item’s effect size and effect type. Content validity was tested within two separate semistructured interviews. A pilot test was performed. Assessing comprehension, relevance and wording clarity structurally, revisions were made accordingly. Children’s bowel function was assessed through the validated Rintala Bowel Function Score.ResultsA total of 13 children with and without HD, median age 7 (range 2–15) years, and 18 parents participated in the validation. Each question’s relevance had been ranked highly early in the validation process but most questions needed refining for improving clarity and comprehension. Wordings regarding bowel symptoms and emotions connected to food in particular were perceived to be sensitive and complex. Specifically wording regarding some bowel symptoms (gases, pain) and parental stress emotions (guilt, ambivalence) were, consistent with participants’ opinions, subjected to multiple step revisions. Following the validation process, which included two semistructure interviews with different participants and then a pilot test with a third cohort, a full track overview of changes and rewording made in all steps of the validation process was presented. The final questionnaire then comprised 13 questions assessing foods’ significance for bowel function, emotions, social impact and 90 specific food items’ possible effects and effect sizes on bowel function.ConclusionsThe Diet and Bowel Function questionnaire, enabling answering by children, was developed and the content validated qualitatively. This report presents insights into the whole validation process, declaring reasons for the selected question- and answering options, and their wordings. The Diet and Bowel Function questionnaire can be used as a survey questionnaire to enhance understanding of dietary effects on bowel function in children, and its results can be supportive in improving dietary-treatment programs.

Which One Should We Click? E-Commerce Platforms from a Consumer Perspective: A Study on Türkiye

Increasing competition and the global epidemic of Covid-19, which shook the world deeply, increased the rate of use of electronic commerce (e-commerce) and put companies on an inevitable path. The purpose of this article is to determine the factors affecting the positioning of e-commerce platforms from the consumer perspective and to show the positions of e-commerce platforms operating in Türkiye from the consumer perspective through the help of perception maps. Qualitative and quantitative methods are applied in the research. A qualitative study was first conducted to determine the factors that are important in the branding of e-commerce platforms. Using the data obtained from this study, a questionnaire in which appropriate statements for the scale to be used in quantitative research were included scale was prepared. As a result of the data obtained by applying the prepared questionnaire scale on the target group, the dimensions were determined, and the final questionnaire practice was made to reveal the perception maps. Within the scope of the dimensions formed as a result of the survey practice, the positions of e-commerce platforms are shown through the perception maps. In the study, explanatory factor analysis was used to determine the factors affecting the positioning of e-commerce platforms. As a result of the analysis, a 7-dimensional structure emerged. However, since the factors should be clear in the perception maps, the structure has been handled in 10 dimensions, and perception maps have been created for 9 e-commerce platforms operating in Türkiye.

Validity and Reliability of the Pre-Adolescent Dance Injury and Participation Questionnaire (PADIP-Q).

Dancers generally begin training in a variety of styles at a young age. Across ages and levels of participation, dancers are at high risk for injury. Most available injury surveillance tools, however, have been developed for adult populations. Valid, reliable tools that monitor injury and exposure of pre-adolescent dance populations are limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of a dance injury and participation questionnaire specifically for pre-adolescent private studio dancers. Four stages of validity and reliability testing assessed a novel questionnaire: initial design based on previous literature, expert panel review, cognitive interviews, and test-retest reliability. The target population was 8 to 12-year-olds who participate in at least 1 class/week at a private studio. Feedback from a panel review and cognitive interviews was incorporated. Test-retest analyses included Cohen's kappa coefficients and percent agreement for categorical variables, and intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs (3,1)], absolute mean difference (md) and Pearson's correlation coefficients (r) for numerical data. The final questionnaire was comprised of 4 sections: demographics, dance training history, current dance participation (previous 1-year and 4-months), and dance-related injury history (previous 1-year and 4-months). Items with categorical responses estimated kappa coefficients from 0.32 to 1.00, and percent agreement between 81% and 100%. For items with numeric responses, ICC estimates ranged between .14 and 1.00, r values between .14 and 1.00, and the largest absolute md was 0.46. The 4-month recall sections revealed higher agreement than the 1-year sections. This valid pre-adolescent dance injury and participation questionnaire demonstrates good to excellent reliability across all items. To support participant completions, assistance from a parent/guardian is suggested. To move dance epidemiology research forward among private studio dancers aged 8 to 12 years, employment of this questionnaire is therefore recommended.

Translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the Indonesian version of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Rheumatology Module (PedsQL-RM) questionnaire for children with rheumatic diseases

Background Quality of life is an important outcome in the management of children with chronic conditions such as rheumatic diseases. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Rheumatology Module (PedsQL-RM) questionnaire has been proven valid and reliable, but a validated Indonesian version of the questionnaire is not yet available.&#x0D; Objective To translate the PedsQL-RM into the Indonesian language, perform a transcultural adaptation, and assess its validity.&#x0D; Methods A cross-sectional study was performed in patients aged 2 to 18 years with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta. The initial phase of the study consisted of forward translation from the original English version into Indonesian, synthesis by experts, backward translation, and cognitive debriefing, resulting in the final version of the questionnaire. The second phase was testing the final questionnaire on patients in each age group and their parents. Tests were carried out in two sessions with an interval of 2 to 4 weeks. The questionnaire consisted of a child report and a parent report, each measuring five dimensions: pain and hurt, activities, treatment, worry, and communication. We subsequently assessed validity and reliability of each dimension in the child and parent reports for the child and teen age groups. Validity was expressed as correlation coefficient (r) between dimension scores with the total score.&#x0D; Results The finalized Indonesian questionnaire was completed by 53 children aged 2-18 years with SLE or JIA and their parents. Due to small numbers of subjects in the younger age ranges, analysis was only performed in the 8-to-18-year age group. Validity varied from good to very good (r = 0.437 to 0.910) for the child report and from poor to good (r = 0.153 to 0.808) for the parent report. The questionnaire was deemed reliable, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.755 to 0.785.&#x0D; Conclusion The Indonesian version of the PedsQL-RM is valid and reliable for assessing quality of life in children aged 8 to 18 years with rheumatologic disease. Further study is needed to assess the validity and reliability of the tool for children aged 2 to 7 years.

TEACHING THE SHENYUN DANCE TECHNIQUE: A STUDY ON UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA STUDENTS

Chinese dance is a culturally rich and popular art form worldwide. However, its teaching needs to be improved in Malaysia, despite its multicultural population and significant Chinese community. In the last century, ShenYun technique emerged as one of the primary schools that have been used in teaching Chinese classical dance to ensure its form and type standardization. Nevertheless, there have yet to be any attempts to teach Chinese classical dance overseas using the original teaching materials of the ShenYun technique. This paper focuses on measuring the effectiveness of teaching ShenYun dance technique to international students. 22 students from Universiti Sains Malaysia and various cultural backgrounds were selected to learn the ShenYun dance technique for 12 sessions. The evaluation of the student's learning outcomes involved multiple methods. Post-class questionnaires were given to students after every class, and a final questionnaire was given at the end of the course. Local dance experts assessed the students' progress by observing a live performance, while Chinese dance experts evaluated a video recording of the final performance. The data obtained from students were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation to determine the participants' understanding level. At the same time, the data collected from experts was used to evaluate the learning outcomes. According to the study's findings, the 12 sessions of ShenYun dance technique is an effective instructional resource for international students.

Reliability and Validity of Persian Translation of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (4-Item Version) in Asthmatic Patients

Background: Non-adherence to medication is a significant health problem that affects disease control and increases hospitalization and mortality. One method of evaluating patients’ medication adherence is utilizing standard questionnaires, such as the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS). Objectives: This study evaluated the reliability of the Persian-translated version of the MMAS among asthma patients. Methods: After the English to Persian translation, back-translation was done, examining the word appropriateness to Iranian culture. A panel of experts in related fields evaluated the questionnaire. The final questionnaire was assessed in 62 asthma patients. Results: The participants’ mean age was 49.62 ± 11.39 years (range: 30 - 72), and the mean duration of asthma was 9.05 ± 6.79 years (range: 1 - 35). The reliability of the questionnaire for four items was 0.637 (95% confidence interval: 0.465 - 0.765; P &lt; 0.001). A significant percentage (29.03%) of the subjects had low drug adherence, and only 30.6% had high adherence. There was no significant correlation between drug adherence and asthma duration (P = 0.441). Conclusions: This study shows that drug adherence is linked to asthma control and the quality of life in asthma patients. The Persian translation of the 4-item MMAS is valid to assess adherence to treatment in asthma patients.

Validation of a Specific Phobia Questionnaire by University Students in Malaysia

Specific phobia is a subcategory of anxiety disorders that remains poor understanding due to inadequate screening tools. This study aimed to develop and validate a new Specific Phobia Questionnaire (SPQ). This SPQ was developed based on literature reviews and inputs from related experts for content validity. The SPQ questionnaire consisted of 14 items and after content validity and face validity testing procedure, 12 items were chosen for the final questionnaire. The questionnaire was then distributed via Google form to university students in Klang Valley. A total of 267 students participated in this study with 70.8% were female with mean age of 23.28 (Standard deviation of 4.98) years. Validity analysis using exploratory factor analysis from the final study indicated that the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value was 0.77 and extracted three domains; animals, blood injection injury and situational-environment. Reliability analysis showed that Cronbach’s α values were 0.84, 0.86, 0.78 and 0.72 for the total items, animal, blood injection injury and situational-environment domains, respectively. The newly developed SPQ showed good reliability and validity for evaluating specific phobia.

How to Support Co-creation in Higher Education: The Validation of a Questionnaire

In this study, we regard co-creation as a collaborative process where students, lecturers and working field professionals from outside the university jointly develop innovative products, processes or knowledge. In co-creation all stakeholders equally contribute to the collaborative process and aim to create beneficial outcomes for each participant. Co-creation can be used as a valuable pedagogical method to support continuous interaction between learning and working in higher education to foster innovation. However, this process is not necessarily mastered by co-creation groups. In order to identify which components of this collaboration process can be further improved, we developed a questionnaire to assess co-creation processes in higher education. Students, lecturers and working field professionals participating in co-creation projects completed the questionnaire. We validated the questionnaire using a principal component analysis. The seven extracted scales proved to be sufficiently reliable. The final questionnaire consists of seven components: positive interdependence, individual accountability, collaboration, shared mental models, safe and supporting conditions, creative community, and group evaluation. We described how the tool can be used in practice.

Development of an asthenopia survey questionnaire for general surveys

Objective: To design a visual fatigue questionnaire that can be used for population surveys. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that involved three stages of subjects' recruitment. In the first stage, by convenience sampling, 150 individuals who complained of visual fatigue were selected at public places in Wenzhou City in May 2016. The 19-Item Asthenopia Survey Questionnaire (ASQ-19) was used to conduct the survey, and the questionnaire was adjusted. In the second stage, 200 outpatient participants were recruited from Wenzhou Medical University Affiliated Eye and Optometry Hospital from June 2016 to May 2017 and were divided into a visual fatigue group and a control group based on clinical diagnosis. The adjusted visual fatigue questionnaire was used for validation. In the third stage, 64 outpatient participants who met the inclusion criteria were continuously recruited from the Wenzhou Medical University Affiliated Eye and Optometry Hospital in July 2022. They were tested using the adjusted visual fatigue questionnaire and retested one week later. During the questionnaire adjustment stage, factor analysis and feedback were used to adjust the scoring method and items of the ASQ-19 questionnaire. The adjusted questionnaire was then analyzed for reliability, validity, accuracy, and subject acceptance during the validation and retest stages. Results: A total of 403 participants were included, and 456 questionnaires were distributed. Eventually, 432 valid questionnaires were collected from 379 participants, resulting in a valid response rate of 94.7%. During the questionnaire adjustment phase, there were 140 valid questionnaires from 140 participants consisting of 56 males and 84 females with an average age of (35.2±12.4) years. In the questionnaire validation phase, there were 186 valid questionnaires from 186 participants. Sixty-two participants had visual fatigue and 124 were controls. During the questionnaire retesting phase, 53 participants yielded 106 valid questionnaires. The group consisted of 20 males and 33 females with an average age of (22.8±4.9) years. After factor analysis, the symptom severity graded as none, mild, moderate, severe, and very severe was scored as 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 points, respectively. The total score was 44, and the final questionnaire consisted of 11 items (numbered 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 15, 17, 18, and 19). The 11-Item Asthenopia Survey Questionnaire (ASQ-11) had a Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.89, a split-half reliability of 0.82, and a test-retest Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.90 (P<0.001). The structural validity was 51.26%, and the discriminative validity was a t-value of 9.19 (P<0.001). On average, it took (2.82±0.43) minutes for participants to complete the questionnaire. The receiver operating characteristic curve had a cutoff value of 8.5, with a sensitivity of 74.19% and a specificity of 80.65%. Conclusion: The ASQ-11, with fewer items and a shorter completion time, is easy for participants to use and is suitable for screening or self-assessment of visual fatigue in the general population. Additionally, it is convenient for clinical and epidemiological studies related to visual fatigue.

Development of a novel instrument for assessing intentional non-adherence to official medical recommendations (iNAR-12): a sequential mixed-methods study in Serbia

ObjectivesWe aimed to (1) develop a novel instrument, suitable for the general population, capturing intentional non-adherence (iNAR), consisting of non-adherence to prescribed therapy, self-medication and avoidance of seeking medical treatment;...

Using Participatory Teaching in Hands-On Courses: Exploring the Influence of Teaching Cases on Learning Motivation

Industrial design is an applied discipline that combines aesthetics and engineering. Through hands-on activities, students can better understand shapes and details in model making. The literature shows that hands-on courses help enhance students’ creativity, learning motivation, and interest. Model-making courses are one of the hands-on courses in industrial design programs. To enhance students’ learning enthusiasm in the practical course of this study, we introduced a “participatory teaching method”. To examine changes in students’ learning motivation after the new teaching method was introduced, the researchers conducted mid-term and final questionnaires and collected feedback on the students’ learning experiences. The results showed that the introduction of the participatory teaching method had a positive impact on students’ learning motivation, as they could participate in the planning and evaluation of course content. These results can serve as a reference for future course planning.

Validation of Questionnaire on Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices of Cooperative Group Work Assessment

This paper aimed to validate a questionnaire intended to measure secondary school teachers’ beliefs and practices of cooperative group work assessment in selected secondary schools in SNNPRS, Ethiopia. To this effect, five experts were selected to rate the content and face validity of the tool. To rate the questionnaire for construct validity, 213 randomly selected secondary school teachers were involved. The validation procedures made use of face validity index, Item Content Validity Index (I-CVIs) and Content Validity Index for scale (S-CVI/Ave), principal component analysis (PCA), and Cronbach alpha. The final questionnaire, which consisted of 31 items, has been found psychometrically valid and reliable to measure teachers’ beliefs and practices of cooperative group work assessment.

Program Ecomposter Sebagai Upaya Pengelolaan Sampah Skala Rumah Tangga

This community service activity aims to increase community knowledge and skills in managing organic and inorganic waste through ECOMPOSTER (ecobrick and composter) programs. The method of implementing this service used counseling and demonstration methods, including educational activities on waste sorting, training on making ecobrick and compost using the Takakura method, and forming ecomposter cadres. The partners of this service were the people of Wonorejo Village RT. 5 and 6, Satui District, Tanah Bumbu Regency, South Kalimantan Province. The instrument for evaluating this activity used a knowledge questionnaire which was statistically analyzed with a paired T-test, an attitude questionnaire which was statistically analyzed with the Wilcoxon test, and a final program evaluation questionnaire which was analyzed descriptively. The results of this service showed that there were significant differences in knowledge and attitudes before and after the provision of education, indicated by a p value &lt;0.05 (0.0007) in knowledge and a p-value &lt;0.05 (0.0036) in attitude. In addition, from the results of this activity, 15 households used the Takakura method of compost, and 23 households made ecobricks at their homes.

Developing and validating a novel staff questionnaire to identify barriers and enablers to nutrition and mealtime care on hospital wards.

Improving hospital nutrition and mealtime care is complex and often requires multifaceted interventions and implementation strategies to change how staff, wards and systems operate. This study aimed to develop and validate a staff questionnaire to identify multilevel barriers and enablers to optimal nutrition and mealtime care on hospital wards, to inform and evaluate local quality improvement. Literature review, multidisciplinary focus groups and end-user testing informed questionnaire development and establishment of content and face validity. To determine the construct validity, the questionnaire was administered to ward staff working in five wards across two facilities (acute hospital, rehabilitation unit). Exploratory factor analysis was used to estimate the number of factors and to guide decisions about whether to retain or reject individual items. Scale reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. The questionnaire was completed by 138 staff, with most respondents being nurses (57%) and working in the acute care facility (76%). Exploratory factor analysis supported construct validity of four of the original seven subscales. The final questionnaire consisted of 17 items and 4 sub sub-scales related to (1) Personal Staff Role; (2) Food Service; (3) Organisational Support, and (4) Family Involvement; each sub-scale demonstrated good reliability with Cronbach's alpha values all >0.70. This novel and brief questionnaire shows good reliability and preliminary evidence of construct validity in this small sample. It provides a potentially useful instrument to identify barriers and enablers to nutrition and mealtime care from the staff perspective and inform where improvement efforts should be focused.

Parental Awareness, Knowledge, and Attitudes Regarding Current and Future Newborn Bloodspot Screening: The First Report from Thailand.

Newborn screening (NBS) is a public health service that is used to screen for treatable conditions in many countries, including Thailand. Several reports have revealed low levels of parental awareness and knowledge about NBS. Because of limited data on parental perspectives toward NBS in Asia and the differences in socio-cultural and economic contexts between Western and Asian countries, we conducted a study to explore parental perspectives on NBS in Thailand. A Thai questionnaire to assess awareness, knowledge, and attitudes regarding NBS was constructed. The final questionnaire was distributed to pregnant women, with or without their spouses, and to parents of children aged up to one year who visited the study sites in 2022. A total of 717 participants were enrolled. Up to 60% of parents were identified as having good awareness, which was significantly associated with gender, age, and occupation. Only 10% of parents were classified as having good knowledge relative to their education level and occupation. Providing appropriate NBS education should be initiated during antenatal care, focusing on both parents. This study noted a positive attitude toward expanded NBS for treatable inborn metabolic diseases, incurable disorders, and adult-onset diseases. However, modernized NBS should be holistically evaluated by multiple stakeholders in each country because of different socio-cultural and economic contexts.

Knowledge and attitude about drug pollution in pharmacy students: A questionnaire-based cross sectional study

IntroductionThe environmental impact of drugs or pharmaceuticals is an issue of growing concern. Healthcare professionals, and pharmacists in particular, are used to managing medicines, yet aspects about drug pollution are generally neglected in schools of pharmacy worldwide. Formation in this issue is essential to tackle the problem. In this study, we aimed to find out the degree of knowledge about the problem of pharmaceuticals in the environment and the attitude about the matter of pharmacy students at the University of the Basque Country. MethodsWe conducted a pilot study (186 students) using an online questionnaire available in two languages (Basque and Spanish). The attitude scale was validated for Spanish. To improve participation, a combination of indirect and direct recruitment was applied in the final study. ResultsFour hundred eighty-seven students participated in the final study (response rate: 65.8%). The final questionnaire contained a total of 25 questions: 13 (knowledge), eight (attitude), and three (opinion). The results showed that knowledge can be considered relatively poor, whereas attitude was generally positive, and students considered drug pollution to be a relevant issue in general and in pharmacy practice. ConclusionsWe believe there is an urgent need to include aspects about pharmaceuticals in the environment in pharmacy studies worldwide.