Undergraduate University Students Research Articles

Jaws of knowledge: an analysis of temporomandibular joint insights in dental training-a quasi-experiment study.

To access the knowledge of undergraduate and postgraduate students of the dental college on basic anatomy, physiology, clinical examination, and pathology of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). A total of 610 undergraduate and postgraduate students of dental college, were included in this study. The questionnaire was pretested for validation and distributed online through Google forms. A pairwise comparison showed that the percentage of correct answers for interns significantly differed from that of IV Bachelor of Dental Surgery (P=0.050) and postgraduate students (P=0.048) (below average: up to 6 correct answers, good: 7-11 correct answers, excellent: 12 or more correct answers). TMJ diseases are common in daily life but frequently go undiagnosed and untreated due to a lack of clinical expertise. This demonstrates the necessity of providing instructions that give students in-depth knowledge and abilities for TMJ issues in clinical practice.

Prevalence and factors associated with eating disorders among undergraduate students in a public university in Ghana

AbstractTo estimate the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) among undergraduate students in a public university in Ghana; to identify the factors associated with EDs and to explore the relationship between sociodemographics and developing EDs. A cross‐sectional design was employed to obtain data from 1101 students using the total enumeration sampling method. Information on sociodemographics was obtained and anthropometric measurements were self‐reported. The Eating Attitude Test was modified to obtain the prevalence rate. The factors associated with EDs and the relationship between sociodemographics and EDs were also assessed using a chi‐square statistical test. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between sociodemographic variables and ED risk. A total of 1101 students participated in the study with a mean age of 21.87 ± 2.94, ranging from 16 to 43 years. About 7% of the students were found to have EDs, with the majority being female young adults. Factors found to influence EDs were peer/family pressure, stress, and body dissatisfaction. The association between psychological factors and EDs was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). Gender (p = 0.011), course of study (p = 0.001), and level of study (p = 0.010) were sociodemographic variables associated with an increased likelihood of developing EDs. This study found the prevalence of EDs to be relatively higher than that estimated for Africa and non‐Western countries and almost as high as that of the Western world. This calls for urgent steps to be taken, including creating awareness and increasing nutrition education to reduce the incidence, if not completely nip it in the bud. Sociocultural factors and body image preferences were identified as core factors underlying susceptibility to EDs and hence will inform and guide intervention activities. This study will address literature gaps and provide baseline data on the prevalence rate of EDs in Ghana and Africa at large. Information from the study will aid dietitians/nutritionists in developing interventions suitable for persons with EDs. Most importantly, this study will refer individuals who may have EDs to seek the necessary assistance from qualified health professionals like doctors, dietitians, and psychologists.

INFLUENCE OF DOCUMENTARY FILMS ON LEARNING CULTURAL AWARENESS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN UYO, NIGERIA

The study explores the influence of documentary films on learning, awareness, and cultural consciousness of undergraduate University students in Uyo Akwa Ibom State Nigeria. Documentaries, portraying real-life scenarios, serve to educate, inform, and entertain audiences. Six focus group discussions with undergraduate students at the University were conducted and interview questions were guided by review of literature and Priming Theory to facilitate discussions. Data from the focus group discussions were tape recoded, transcribed verbatim, coded, and thematically analyzed. Findings from the study revealed that students gain new knowledge, experience emotional arousal, and develop empathy through exposure to documentary films. Furthermore, documentaries serve as platforms for information dissemination, behavior shaping, and reinforcement of viewers' beliefs. Globalization and technological advancement have led to the wide spread of Western cultural values, while Nigerian indigenous cultural heritage faces decline, particularly among the youth. Documentaries emerge as essential tools for raising awareness and fostering cultural consciousness and countering the erosion of local traditions and values. On the premise of dominance of western culture, social polarization, and declining cultural values among youth, documentaries can help reignite interest in societal norms and help to preserve the culture and traditional heritage of the people in Akwa Ibom State.

Training Methods Used by Dog Guardians in the United States: Prevalence, Sources of Information, and Reasons for Use

While there has been recent attention in the scientific community on the ethical and welfare implications of different dog training methods, less research has investigated what methods and training tools United States dog guardians use, where they obtain information about dog training, and the reasons they give for their choices of method. We conducted two surveys with nearly 800 Arizona State University undergraduate students to gain a more realistic look into how dog guardians in the United States train their dogs and where they are receiving their training information. Only 5% of respondents reported utilizing a trainer when they had concerns regarding their dog’s behavior; 60% would ask a friend or family member or seek advice online. Few reported taking their dog to any training classes; 70% reported either training the dog themselves or not implementing any formal training. When asked general questions, most respondents reported using rewards-based methods but, when asked about specific problem behaviors, 57% of respondents noted that they would use auditory or physical corrections. Respondents who trained with rewards-based methods reported that these methods of training were more effective significantly more frequently than those who trained with mixed methods reported that those methods were most effective (Fisher’s Exact Test, p < 0.01).

A cross-sectional study of university students' mental health and lifestyle practices amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

University students are regarded as the backbone of society, and their mental health during a pandemic may have a substantial impact on their performance and life outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess university students' mental health, specifically depression, anxiety, and stress, during Lebanon's extended COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the sociodemographic factors and lifestyle practices associated with it. An online anonymous survey assessed the rates of mental health problems during COVID-19, controlling for socio-demographics and other lifestyle practices, in 329 undergraduate and graduate university students. Instruments utilized were the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (21-BAI) for anxiety, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) for stress. The study employed descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression models to analyze the association between depression, anxiety, and stress with sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Results were evaluated using adjusted odds ratios and confidence intervals, with a significance level of 0.05. Moderate to severe rates of depression, anxiety and stress among students were reported by 75.9%, 72.2%, and 89.3%, respectively. The odds of anxiety and stress were higher among women compared to men. Students who used private counseling services had higher odds of anxiety and stress than those who did not. Overall rated health was a major predictor of depression and anxiety, with the "poor" and "fair" overall-reported health groups having higher odds than the "Excellent" group. When compared to those who did not smoke, students who increased their smoking intake had higher odds of depression, anxiety and stress. Students who reduced their alcohol consumption had lower odds of anxiety compared to those who did not consume alcohol. Students who reduced their physical activity had higher odds than those who increased it. Finally, students who slept fewer than seven hours daily had higher odds of depression than those who slept seven to nine hours. Our findings indicate a national student mental health crisis, with exceptionally high rates of moderate to severe depression, anxiety, and stress. Factors such as gender, university program, overall rated health, importance of religion in daily decisions, private counseling, smoking cigarettes, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and sleeping, were all found to have an impact on mental health outcomes. Our study highlights the need for university administrators and mental health professionals to consider targeted mental health programming for students, particularly for women and those with poor or fair overall perceived health.

Critical Thinking and Clinical Reasoning in Undergraduate Medical Course: A Mixed-Methods Study in a Medical College in Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Critical thinking is considered as the essential set of skills for medical practice, particularly during emergencies. However, there is lack of conceptual clarity around it and it was not explicitly included in the undergraduate medical curriculum in India. The present study has been planned to assess the critical thinking disposition and clinical reasoning skills among medical undergraduate students in a medical college in West Bengal, India. The perceived definition and attributes of critical thinking in medical education will be explored and the contexts where application of critical thinking skills may be crucial for medical practice will be identified. The content validity index, test-retest agreement; internal consistency and construct validity of the Critical Thinking Disposition Assessment Questionnaire (CTDAQ) will be assessed through step-by-step procedure. CTDAQ and the case-based objective-type questions for the clinical reasoning skills will be applied to around 200 medical undergraduate students. Their perception and experience on critical thinking in medical education will be assessed with structured open-ended questions. In-depth interviews with medical teachers of the second and third phases of undergraduate medical curriculum will be conducted to assess their perception and experiences on critical thinking. The quantitative analysis will be conducted with MS excel and R software using the relevant packages. The qualitative data will be transcribed and translated in English, close to the participants’ verbatim. The thematic analysis will be conducted with inductive coding and memoing. The study will be conducted maintaining ethical standards for epidemiological studies. The present study, one of the first a few studies in India, will help to meet the conceptual gap in understanding the attributes of critical thinking, its association with clinical reasoning and the contexts of preferred application in medical practice.

Knowledge, Perception, and Practice of Safe Medical Circumcision on HIV Infection Risk Reduction among Undergraduate Students of a Public University in Northern Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study.

About 70% (25.6 million) of the global HIV/AIDS burden is from Sub-Saharan Africa. Safe male circumcision (SMC) is one of the measures that were adopted by the Ugandan government aimed at reducing the risk of HIV infection contraction, as recommended by the WHO. Its main goal was to maximize HIV prevention impact with voluntary medical circumcision services to all adult men and adolescent boys. The objective of our study was to assess the knowledge, perception, and practice of safe medical circumcision on HIV infection risk reduction among undergraduate students of a public university in Northern Uganda. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 556 randomly selected Lira University undergraduate students from March 2023 to June 2023. With the use of a self-administered questionnaire, we collected data on the knowledge and perceptions of undergraduate students towards safe medical circumcision. Data were exported to Stata® 17 statistical software. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate regression analyses were done at a statistical level of significance P value < 0.05. Our 556 study participants had an age range of 21-25 years. The majority (81.29%) of the respondents knew that safe medical circumcision reduces the risk of acquiring HIV. However, the perception is that close to 3 in 4 (74.46%) of the students were unsure if they would opt for safe medical circumcision as risk reduction measure against HIV. The practice of safe medical circumcision was 64.8% among the study participants. More than three in four of the undergraduate students have knowledge on safe medical circumcision as risk reduction measure for HIV infection. And close to 3 in 4 (74.46%) of the student's perception were unsure if they would opt for safe medical circumcision as risk reduction measure against HIV. The practice of safe medical circumcision was 64.8% among the study participants. Therefore, in an effort to increase SMC's adoption for HIV/AIDS prevention, the Ministry of Health of Uganda and related stakeholders in health should work hand in hand with university study bodies in order to optimize SMC uptake among university students.

Madesa or books! Using a Coverage Comprehension Model to Assess University Students’ Ability to Comprehend Reference Books

Studies on reading in a foreign language report that meaningful reading comprehension is determined by an individual's vocabulary size. A conclusion from these studies is that a vocabulary threshold of 8000–9000 words is compulsory for the reader to comprehend 98% of running words in academic texts and consequently achieve optimal comprehension of the materials. A threshold of 4,000–5,000 words can only assist readers to understand 95% of running words, which guarantees minimal comprehension. This study examines the relationship between the vocabulary size of undergraduate university students and the vocabulary coverage of reference books sampled from among those listed in their course outlines. This corpus-based and descriptive study used the Vocabulary Level Test (VLT) to assess the vocabulary size of 774 participants and a vocab profiler to analyze the vocabulary coverage of the nine sampled reference books. The results showed that, on average, the participants’ vocabulary size would enable them to comprehend 95% of the running words in most of the books in the sample, but that size would not help them to understand 98% of the running words in any of the sampled books. These results suggest that, on average, no student in the sample could have optimal comprehension of the sampled reference books. Therefore, our study calls for the need to introduce serious reading programmes at the primary and secondary school levels so as to promote students' vocabulary size and reading comprehension ability.

Persuading others in different communication media: appeals to logic, authority and emotion

PurposeScholars of persuasion have long made a distinction between appeals to logic, emotion and authority- logos, ethos and pathos- but ideas developed to account for live face-to-face conversation processes must also be tested in new media. We aimed to test the effectiveness of these three strategies in one-to-one chats through different communication media.Design/methodology/approachWith a 3 × 3 × 2 between-subject factorial design, we tested these three strategies in one-to-one chats (female–female or male–male pairs) through three communication media: face-to-face, Skype video or Skype text. The persuasion scenario was adapted from prior studies in which students were presented with the idea of requiring a comprehensive exam as part of their degree. The participants were all undergraduate students of a major university in USA.FindingsOur results showed trivial differences between female–female and male–male conditions. The logos appeal worked best overall in persuading the participants to change their reported attitudes. Additionally, the explanations provided by the participants for their own opinions were most like the persuasion scripts in the logos condition compared to the other two appeal conditions. Separately, participants indicated some disapproval of the pathos appeal in the text-based chat condition, although this did not seem to make a difference in terms of actual attitude change.Research limitations/implicationsOne major limitation of our study is that our subjects are college students and therefore are not representative of Internet users in general. Future research should test these three types of persuasion strategies on people of diverse backgrounds. For example, while logos seems to be most effective strategy in persuading college students (at least in our study), pathos or ethos may be more effective when one attempts to persuade people of different backgrounds.Practical implicationsAlthough it is enough for a statistical test, our sample size is still relatively small due to constraints on time, personnel and funding. We also recognize that it is challenging both conceptually and empirically to compare the effectiveness of three persuasion strategies separately.Social implicationsOur findings suggest it is helpful to use fact-checking tools to combat disinformation in cases where users may not have sufficient domain knowledge or may not realize the need to identify or examine the given information. Additionally, it may require more effort to negate the impact of the disinformation spread than correcting the information, as some users may not only believe false information but also may start to reason in ways similar to those presented in the disinformation messages.Originality/valuePast studies on online persuasion have limitedly examined whether and how communication media and persuasion strategies interact in one-to-one persuasion sessions. Our experiment makes an attempt to close this gap by examining the persuasion process and outcome in three different communication media and with three different persuasion strategies.

Investigating the relationship between metastrategy use and task engagement in an EFL context: a structural equation modeling approach

ABSTRACT Purpose: The significance of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies has been extensively discussed in second language acquisition (SLA) research. However, their specific influence on EFL students’ task engagement has remained under-explored. To address this gap, this study analyzed the correlation and predictor power of different components of SRL metastrategy use and task engagement. Design/methodology/approach: To do so, two questionnaires were completed by 302 undergraduate university students in Iran. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to analyze the data. Findings: The results of SEM revealed a positive relationship among the underlying dimensions of SRL metastrategies and task engagement. It was also found that EFL learners’ use of SRL metastrategies could significantly predict their task engagement in different modes. Originality/value: Some conclusions and implications are presented in the study to promote EFL teachers’ and educators’ understanding of the psycho-affective side of SLA. The paper ends with theoretical and pedagogical implications that aim to promote understanding of task engagement in theory and practice.

Relationship between Psychosocial Factors and Physical Activity among Undergraduate Students from a South African University.

Psychosocial factors such as mental health, motivation, and social support are key determinants of behavior that play a significant role in physical activity participation. Limited studies have investigated the relationship between psychosocial factors and physical activity among university students in Africa. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between psychosocial factors and physical activity participation among undergraduate university students at a historically disadvantaged university (HDU) in South Africa. This was a cross-sectional study that used convenience sampling (n = 534, majority female, 53.6% with a mean age of 20.69). The study was conducted through an online, self-administered, and hard-copy, valid questionnaire in September 2022. Data on sociodemographic information were collected. Psychosocial factors were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress-21 Scale for mental health, the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale for motivation, and the Perceived Social Support Scale for social support. Physical activity (calculated as MET-min/week) was assessed using the international physical activity questionnaire in short form. Results revealed that almost a third (29%) of undergraduate students were physically inactive, 31.1% were minimally active, and 39.9% were in the health-enhancing category. Physical activity was positively related to stress (r = 0.11, p < 0.05) and anxiety (r = 0.10, p < 0.05). Motivational factors were positively related to psychological condition and others' expectations (r = 0.10, p < 0.05), and depression and others' expectations (r = 0.11, p < 0.05). Results from this study highlighted that psychosocial factors were related to physical activity participation among undergraduate university students. Psychosocial factors should be considered a coping mechanism when implementing health-promoting strategies.

Text Messages Conveying Parent Drinking Limits: A Potential Avenue for Preventing and Reducing Alcohol Use in College Students.

Although previous research has established that students who perceive that their parents have lower drinking limits consume less alcohol, optimal approaches for effectively communicating these limits are less understood. To address this gap in the literature, the present study examined the effects of hypothetical limit-focused text messages on estimated drinking behavior. Undergraduate college students (N=253) completed an online survey in which they were instructed to imagine a scenario where they were planning to go out at night to an event involving drinking. Participants were randomly assigned to a condition where they would receive one of four hypothetical text messages from their mother and/or father containing a range of drinking limits. They were then asked to report how much alcohol they would realistically consume on this night if they were and were not obligated to check in with their parent at the end of the night. Hypothetical text messages from mothers and fathers containing lower drinking limits resulted in lower estimated alcohol consumption. A drinking limit of zero resulted in the least amount of expected alcohol consumption but specifying 1-2 drinks as a limit might produce a similar effect if parents also required their student to check-in at the end of the night. Findings from this study provide initial support for future studies to investigate the effects of limit setting text messages sent from parents on college student drinking, as well as the effects of text messages sent from parents requiring that students check-in.

Prevalence of imposter phenomenon and its correlates among undergraduate medical students of a government medical college, West Bengal, India

Background: The prevalence of imposter phenomenon (IP) is more among students, engineers, health-care-professionals, and researchers. Medical students are particularly predisposed to IP due to stressors like a highly competitive environment both preceding and during medical education. Aims and Objectives: The aims and objectives of the study are to find out the prevalence of IP among undergraduate medical students of a Medical College of Eastern India and to elicit the relationship between background factors and IP. Materials and Methods: One hundred and thirty medical students were selected by stratified random sampling from all four semesters. Twenty point Clance IP scale was used to measure IP. It contains 20 questions, each of them having five options. A score between “60 and 80” indicates frequent imposter syndrome and a score higher than 80 indicates intense imposter feeling. After conducting descriptive analysis, ordinal logistic regression was conducted. Results: Among the study subjects 37.7% had frequent imposter feelings and 10.8% had intense imposter feelings. High level of IP (frequent and intense combined) is more common among second-semester students, females, middle class, those who sleep &gt;56 h/week, who perceived their school performance was good, who have a family history of psychiatric illness, and who take some kind of chronic medication. As per Ordinal regression, second-semester, middle class, good school performance, and history of chronic medication were found to be significant predictors of higher degree IP. Conclusion: The prevalence of IP is alarming among medical students and it is high time to address this before it turns into graver psychiatric morbidity.

Role of gender difference in Internet addiction and its association with family interaction among students

Abstract Introduction: Internet addiction (IA) has become a serious behavioral addiction pandemic. IA may potentially affect academic performance and family dynamics. Gender and geographic differences also exist in the ways that people use the Internet for entertainment. This study was conducted to evaluate if gender difference plays a role in IA. Objectives: To determine the association between gender with internet addiction and family interaction among the undergraduate college students and to find the prevalence of internet addiction among them. Materials and Methods: A sample of 252 currently enrolled undergraduate students, between 18 and 23 years of age, were included from three programs (Arts, Science, and Commerce) at a University in Odisha. Data were collected using the IA test (IAT) and the family interaction questionnaire (FIQ). Data were compiled into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using Epi-info software. Descriptive data were interpreted as frequencies and percentages. The independent t-test was used to compare the mean scores between IA and family interaction. The Chi-square test was used to test association. A P &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study included 113 (44.8%) males and 55.2% (139) females. The prevalence of IA was 64.8%. Female students had slightly higher mean IAT and FIQ scores than males. The difference in mean scores determined by independent t-tests between the genders was not statistically significant for both IAT (P = 0.054) and FIQ (P = 0.2). There was no significant association between gender with IA levels (P = 0.1507) and family interaction levels (P = 0.6125). Conclusion: The current study revealed there was IA in almost two-thirds of undergraduate students. There was a minor gender difference in IA and family interaction levels among the college students. It is crucial to educate the future generation, parents, and educators about the dangers of IA and the importance of family interaction in managing the problem.

IJCM_69A: Attitudes and perceptions among undergraduate students towards psychiatry and psychiatric illness in a medical college in Mangalore, India

Background: Mental illness poses a significant global health burden, with negative attitudes towards mental illness contributing to treatment gaps and disparities in care. Understanding the attitudes and perceptions of medical students towards psychiatry and psychiatric illness is crucial for addressing these challenges. This study aimed to assess attitudes and perceptions among undergraduate medical students in an Indian medical college, particularly focusing on the impact of clinical exposure to psychiatry. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 440 MBBS undergraduate students using a composite questionnaire comprising sections on demographics, attitudes towards mental illness and psychiatry, perceived need for mental health support, perceptions of treatment effectiveness, and interest in pursuing psychiatry. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 29. Results: Overall, students exhibited a negative attitude towards mental illness based on the Opinion of Mental Illness (OMI) scale, particularly in factors such as Authoritarianism, Benevolence, and Interpersonal Aetiology. However, exposure to clinical psychiatry postings led to a significant improvement in attitudes. Despite positive attitudes towards psychiatry as a specialty, attitudes towards its inclusion in the curriculum were less positive after clinical exposure. There was significant support for peer counselling among students. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of clinical exposure in shaping attitudes towards psychiatry among medical students. Efforts should be made to address negative perceptions and enhance the integration of psychiatry in undergraduate medical education. The potential for peer counselling also signifies a need for supportive mental health services within medical colleges. Addressing these issues is essential for fostering a more positive attitude towards mental illness and psychiatry among future physicians.

IJCM_329A: Prevalence of Impostor Phenomenon and its association with Depression, Anxiety and Stress in undergraduate medical students

Background: Clance and Imes coined the term “impostor phenomenon,” or IP, which causes a person to choose to elevate the achievements of others and belittle their own successes. This results in constant self-underappreciation and anxiety about a task. The field of medical science is a highly pressure-intensive and competitive field. In the medical field, where patients’ lives are involved daily, a condition like this which is going undiagnosed, will affect the duties provided by the medical practitioner in the long run. They will doubt every decision they make, which can seriously harm the patient. All these reasons show the necessity of discovering new and more advanced techniques to identify the disorder. As a result, this condition develops into more severe forms. It results in more serious psychiatric conditions that can be prevented if IP is identified correctly. Objective: To identify the prevalence of Imposter Phenomenon and to find its associations with depression, anxiety, and stress in medical students Methodology: It was a cross sectional study done among undergraduate students of a private medical college in Manipal. About 377 undergraduates participated in the study. Data was collected using the Clance IP scale and DASS-21 questionnaire after taking relevant permissions. The data was collected in an excel sheet from the responses derived from the Microsoft form. Data was analyzed using the open-source statistical software Jamovi 2.0. Results: It was observed that more than half of the students were female. More than two fifths of the students reported having frequent IP experiences, and about 15% of them reported intense IP experiences. Positive correlation was observed between IP and Stress, Anxiety and Depression. Conclusion: Impostor Phenomenon should be diagnosed and identified early in medical undergraduates to reduce mental health issues in the long run so they may be able to provide quality medical care.

IJCM_334A: The struggle within: suicidal ideation and its risk factors among the undergraduate medical students

Background: Suicide is one of the top three causes of death among the adults worldwide, which is increasingly seen among students. Medical education is often considered highly stressful, in addition to the usual psychological issues in the youth. Mental health issue is a subject of taboo even among the medical students leading to non-help seeking behaviour. Studies report a high prevalence of suicidal ideation among medical students in India, ranging from 1.8% to 53.6%. Objectives: 1. To assess the prevalence of ‘suicidal ideation’ and associated risk factors among undergraduate medical students Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among Phase 2 and 3 undergraduate students of a government medical college after taking IEC approval. Information on socio demographic details along with known risk factors was obtained. Beck scale for suicide ideation was used for screening and assessment of suicidal ideation. Data was analysed as proportions and percentages and chi square was applied to test the significance of association. Results: Out of the total 192 participants 118 (61.4%) were boys and 74 (38.6%) were girls. History of mental illness was present among 33 (16.6%) students. Fourteen students (7.2%) had high BSS score on screening. Within this subgroup of students reporting suicide ideation (n=14), 9 students (69.2%) had seriously contemplated suicide, while 2 students (15.3%) had attempted suicide at least once in their life time. Students who had previous history of mental illness showed higher prevalence of suicide ideation which was statistically significant (p&lt;0.001). However, no significant associations were identified between gender of the student, mother’s occupation, or a history of mental illness among family members and suicide ideation among the medical students. Conclusion: Medical students need to be assessed for their mental health and appropriate care and support should be provided to the needy to prevent fatal outcomes among them.

IJCM_360A: Do Body Image Concerns Affect Our Adolescent girls? A Cross-sectional Study among female undergraduate medical students in Guntur medical college.

Background: People’s thoughts and feelings about their own bodies are related to their body image. Adolescents want to gain or lose weight in order to achieve the ideal physique in today’s culture due to the developing notion of ideal body image. Because there are currently few studies on body image, this research aims to fill in the gaps in our understanding of the still-developing field of body image perception. Objectives: 1. To find out the proportion of girls dissatisfied about body image. 2. To find the association of various factors with body image dissatisfaction and to ascertain the weight control behaviours adopted by adolescent medical under graduate students. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was done among 300 medical undergraduate college girls in Guntur medical college. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on various factors associated with body image dissatisfaction. Body mass index (BMI) of the participants was calculated. Results: Body image dissatisfaction was there among 65.3% of the girls. It was found that factors such as higher BMI, sociocultural pressure to be thin and depression were all significantly associated with body image dissatisfaction. The most commonly followed weight control behaviours were eating small meals and skipping meals. Improving the appearance and body shape were the main reasons for weight control behaviour. Conclusion: This study establishes the fact that body image dissatisfaction is no longer a western concept and affects Indian adolescent girls to a great extent. Hence, effective interventions have to be planned to increase awareness on ideal body weight and protect our young generation from pressures of negative body image.

IJCM_307A: Perception and practice of Nipah among first year undergraduate medical students of knct medical college

Background: Nipah infection is a zoonotic disease caused by Nipah virus with a very high case fatality rate (40-75%). The current outbreak (12-15 September 2023) was the third Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode district of Kerala, and overall the fourth outbreak in Kerala state since 2018. The state government had declared containment zones in the district and there was restriction of movement, public gatherings; wearing of masks and social distancing was mandatory in public spaces. The educational institutions including professional colleges were closed as a precautionary measure and switched to online classes. In this context, this study was conducted among the first-year medical students of KMCT medical college Objective: To assess the Perception and Practice about Nipah among first year undergraduate medical students of KMCT medical college Methodology: A cross sectional study was done among 2023 batch students of KMCT medical college students from September 18th to October 28, 2023. All the 150 students were taken by universal sampling for the study, out of which 144 were present at the time of data collection. Data was collected by investigators using a semi-structured questionnaire consisting of knowledge, attitude and practice-based sections. Scoring was done. The data was analyzed and recorded as frequencies and percentage. Results: Majority of the students (69%) had poor knowledge on Nipah, 29% had satisfactory knowledge and 2% of the students had very good knowledge. Majority of the students (89%) had good attitude towards Nipah while 10% had poor attitude. 68% students were found to have followed excellent practices, 30% had followed satisfactory practices while 2% had not practiced any good etiquette needed during an outbreak. Conclusion: Though they were having poor knowledge about Nipah, they followed good practices that helped in preventing and controlling the disease.

Effectiveness of selected small group teaching methods for undergraduate medical students on basic concepts of epidemiology: A quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND: Teaching epidemiology to young medical students using traditional teaching techniques is fraught with myriad challenges. Incorporating innovative small group teaching (SGT) approaches that promote active learning, practical application, and critical thinking can help in overcoming these challenges. AIM/OBJECTIVE: To identify the most effective SGT method from selected three approaches [tutorial technique (TT), problem-based learning (PBL), and fishbowl technique (FBT)] to teach the basic concepts of epidemiology to the third-year undergraduate medical students of a private medical college in Puducherry, Southern India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted among third-year undergraduate medical students for 6 months. The sample size was calculated to be 60 using the nMaster 2.0 sample size software. Three groups were formed with 20 students each. A pre-test, which included fifty multiple-choice questions covering topic one, was conducted for students in all three groups. An SGT session on topic one (dynamics of disease transmission) was held on the same day by different facilitators for three groups A, B, and C using the TT, PBL, and FBT, respectively. After 6 weeks of the SGT session for topic one, a post-test using the same questions was organized for all three groups to identify the effectiveness of each SGT method. The above sequence of events was followed for topic two (study designs) and topic three (investigation of disease outbreak) among all groups in the subsequent months. A written informed consent was sought from all students. The collected data was entered in MS Excel 2010 and analyzed using SPSS 21. The pre- and post-tests for all topics in all three groups were compared using a paired t-test, and an ANOVA test was used to find any difference between the groups. RESULTS: The mean post-test score in each of the three groups for all topics had improved when compared with the mean pre-test score, which was significantly different between the three groups. Further, the mean score of group B (PBL group) was found to be higher than group C (FBT) but not significantly higher compared to group A (TT). The mean score of the feedback where the participants were asked to rate the overall session was found to be high in group B (PBL) followed by group A (TT). CONCLUSION: PBL and TT were found to be an equally effective way of small group methods for teaching–learning epidemiology in medical school.