Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding voluntary blood donation among Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University students in Bangladesh

Background: In developing countries like Bangladesh, the demand of blood supply is increasing every year. To ensure safe and adequate blood supply and to motivate voluntary donors in blood donation processes, this study was aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of blood donation among Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University students in Bangladesh.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 students (200 females and 203 males), using a self administered structured questionnaire.Results: 59.05% students had good knowledge about blood donation. The knowledge score was significantly higher (p<0.05) in female than male. Students positive attitudes toward voluntary blood donation included- blood donation saves life (62.8% strongly agreed, 32% agreed), donation is a moral activity (57.1% strongly agreed, 37.5% agreed), young are more suitable to donate blood (40% strongly agreed, 49.1% agreed), the best way of donation is voluntary non-remunerated (22.3% strongly agreed, 41.4% agreed). Their negative attitudes included - best way to donate blood is at the request of relatives (24.3% strongly agreed, 38% agreed), donation in paid (only 3% strongly agreed, 10.7% agreed) or something in exchange (only 1% strongly agreed, 8.9% agreed) and blood donors contract disease (3.5% strongly agreed, 27.8% agreed). Among the participants 34.2% donated blood and males donated significantly more than females (p<0.001). Physically females were significantly unfit for donating blood (p<0.001).Conclusions: Although having positive attitudes blood donation practice is not substantial among students especially in females. Interactive awareness and motivation packages should be created to enhance voluntary blood donation.

The Prevelence Of Obesity And Overweight Amongst Students And Staff Of Era's Lucknow Medical College & Hospital Lucknow

This study had designed, to explore prevalence of obesity and overweight, on two criteria, Indian and World Health Organization (W.H.O.), amongst students and staff of Era's Lucknow Medical College & Hospital, Lucknow and Era Institute of Health Sciences and Research, Lucknow. As well as, assessment of association of oxidative stress with obesity. MBBS, Nursing and DMLT students as well as Hospital Laboratory Services (HLS) staff had included in this study. Study had carried out in Department of Biochemistry with collaboration of Department of Physiology and HLS. Results of this study had showed that, prevalence of obesity and overweight were high in staff with respect to students. The levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) were decreased in obese with respect to normal; on the other hand Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were increased in obese with respect to normal.

Preparedness of the teachers for Team-Based Learning: Liking, disliking and suggestions of faculty.

Faculty development is an integral part of institutional development. This paper describes liking, disliking and suggestions of faculty members on a 2-days Team-Based Learning faculty training workshop, where 39 faculty members were attended. Participants liked the lively and informal discussions through which they got a new technique to teach students more interactively. However, they disliked too short demonstration and short notification given them to read pre-assigned material and suggested more workshops with more practical demonstration before its implementation. Faculty developers should address the needs of the faculty while organizing developmental workshop aimed to link between theory and practice for a sustainable development.

Teachers’ Knowledge, Beliefs and Practices of Breast Self-Examination in a City of Philippine: A Most Cost-Effective Tool for Early Detection of Breast Cancer.

Breast self-examination (BSE) is a most cost-effective screening-tool for early-detection of breast cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate knowledge, beliefs and practices of BSE among teachers. It was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey conducted in Philippine in 2009. A standardized questionnaire was administered among 450 randomly selected different school-level teachers. Responses were 70% of which 50%, 42% and 8% from elementary, secondary and tertiary school-level teachers respectively. Thirty percent teachers were 11-20 years experienced. BSE knowledge on frequency, starting age and techniques varied from 60%-70%. Only 25% and 39% possessed accurate knowledge on BSE timing during regular and irregular menstruation and 45% knew right position for BSE. Believed to do BSE confidently were only 33%, although 65% motivated. Majority respondents were un-believable about breast cancer susceptibility. Of 73% BSE practiced respondents, only 17% and 24% practiced at recommended interval and time. Main reasons for not practicing BSE did not know how to do, report by 82% respondents. Participants’ knowledge, beliefs on BSE were good but practice was low. Planned integrated-educational programs by policy-makers, health care-providers and mass-media are necessary to promote BSE for early detection and management of breast cancer aimed to promote a healthy life.

Sleep pattern and academic performance of undergraduate medical students at universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Sleep is an active, repetitive and reversible state of perceptual disengagement from the environment including unresponsiveness to it. Adequate sleep is extremely important for healthiness. But sleep loss is a remarkable problem in modern society. The objective of this study was to investigate the sleep pattern and its association with students’ academic performance. It was a cross sectional study conducted among 4th year UKM undergraduate medical students of session 2011-2012. Inclusive of all 234 registered 4th year students was selected for this study. A standard questionnaire that contained questions on demography, sleep habits, academic performance and ideal sleep was used to collect data. Out of 234 students, 186 were responded giving a response rate of 79.5% where 73% were female and 69% resided in-campus. Including weekdays and weekends averagely, 56.2% respondents slept for 6-8 hours, 29.1% for <6 hours and 14.7% slept for >8 hours. An average of 53.35% respondents had in-frequent day-nap, 34.9% frequent and 11.75% had no day-nap at all. Respondents who slept >6 hours were observed to have significantly higher academic performance. It is concluded that, people need to understand the role of sleep and have to take adequate sleep of 6-8 hours per day for health and wellbeing.

Educational Environment in a Multicultural Society to Meet the Challenges of Diversity.

Educators in a multicultural-environment face complex-tasks in teaching for diversity. The objective of this study was to determine the educational environment in a Malaysian medical school, aimed to face the diversity. This cross-sectional study was conducted utilising “Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure”, a validated instrument that contained 50 items rated 0-4 with a maximum 200 score under five sub-scales. Sub-scales were perceptions of: learning, teacher, academic-self, atmosphere and social-self. Respondents were 193 year-5 medical students of session 2011-2012, comprised of Malays, Chinese, Indians and Other ethnic-group. The overall mean score perceived by all ethnicity was 130/200 (65%). All sub-scales perceived >60% scores except social-self and atmosphere. The social-self sub-scale perceived the lowest score (53.57%) by the Other ethnic group while interestingly social-self also perceived highest (75%) by the Indians. Atmosphere sub-scale perceived a score of 58.33% by Other ethnic-group. Positive perceptions of educational enviornment among the students of diverse ethnicity reflects that educational environment at the medical school is well equiped to meet the challenges of diversity. However, there is opportunity to increase further positivity in general and social-self and atmosphere sub-scales in particular. Educators in a multicultural-environment must work to avoid monocultural instructional methodoligies to promote a multicultrul society.

Comparative study of professionalism of future medical doctors between Malaysia and Bangladesh.

Every profession has its particular social responsibilities. Thus, professionalism is the foundation of medicine’s indenture with humanity. The schooling and refinement of professionalism has long been part of medical education. Recently professionalism is recognized as a fundamental qualification in both developed and developing countries. The objective of this study was to scrutinize and compare the professionalism of medical students of Malaysia and Bangladesh. This was Cross-sectional study conducted on 1208 Year-I to Year-V MBBS students of session 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, from Malaysia and Bangladesh. Data was collected using a validated instrument. Only 42% respondents were male and the rest 58% were female. Total mean professionalism scores for male was 177.57 and female was 175.82. Again total score of professionalism of Malaysia and Bangladesh were 175.50 and 177.14 respectively. Significant differences observed between gender (p=0.026) and country (p=0.044) in total scores of elements of professionalism. The present study found there has almost equal level of understanding on principal humanistic concerns of professionalism. Between gender and country there are significant differences. Professionalism should be incorporate in undergraduate and postgraduate medical course curriculum. Henceforth, communities will have rational prescriber for the common marginalized people.

Challenges of Problem Based Learning.

Background: The cornerstone of problem-based learning (PBL) tutoring is its facilitation skills and is vital to student learning. PBL is a major component in the undergraduate medical curriculum at the Univeristi Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the knowledge, attitudes and skills of PBL tutors of different status and backgrounds. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out on 55 tutors with medical and non-medical backgrounds, of various academic positions, who conducted 94 tutorials. Respondents were 240 semester-1, year-1, UKM medical students of the academic session of 2007-2008. Data was collected at the end of last session of each PBL case tutorial, utilizing an evaluation form. Results: The majority of tutors possessed knowledge on PBL process and showed positive attitudes towards students learning. Facilitation skills varied among the tutors. However, no significant difference was found between tutors of medical and non-medical backgrounds. Conclusion: Problem processing or facilitation is a challenging task. This also depends on problem structure or designing of the problem. Every PBL tutor irrespective of their background and status must have adequate training on PBL facilitation skills and designing of problem based on critical evaluation of educational theory.

Community and Family Case Study: a community-based educational strategy to promote Five Star Doctors for the 21st century.

Introduction: Community and Family Case Study (CFCS) is an approach to community-based education (CBE) in the undergraduate medical curriculum in the School of Medical Sciences (SMS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). CBE is a means of achieving educational relevance to community needs and subsequently in implementing a community oriented educational programme. The objective of this paper is to disseminate medical students’ perceptions of CFCS as an approach to CBE. Materials and Methods: a survey on CFCS was carried out in 2003 among 4th year undergraduate medical students of the USM belonging to the academic session 2002-2003. Sample size was 78. Data was collected utilizing a mixed type questionnaire containing different attributes of CFCS as a strategy of CBE and presented as numbers and percentage distribution. Results: Fifty nine to eighty percent of the respondents perceived that leadership skills, positive attitude towards rural community, team building skills, communication skills and in-depth understanding of the health beliefs of socio-culturally diverse people have developed from the participation in the CFCS. Conclusion: CFCS is a good approach of CBE, which promotes the development of leadership, team building and communication skills and an in-depth understanding of the socio-culturally diverse population which are the criteria for five star doctors advocated by the World Health Organization (WHO). Curriculum planners should give due importance on CBE and its effective implementation through close collaboration between health and educational administration. This paper offers other medical schools who wish to shift their curricula towards community based education, an opportunity to use the approach.