Knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceived barriers towards research in undergraduate medical students of six Arab countries

Ahmed Assar; Sajeda Ghassan Matar; Elfatih A Hasabo; Sarah Makram Elsayed; Mohamed Sayed Zaazouee; Aboalmagd Hamdallah; Alaa Ahmed Elshanbary; Asmaa Khaled; Helmy Badr; Hanan Abukmail; Khaled Mohamed Ragab; Shaimaa Sherif Soliman; IMedRA team of collaborators

doi:10.1186/s12909-022-03121-3

Knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceived barriers towards research in undergraduate medical students of six Arab countries

BMC Med Educ. 2022 Jan 18;22(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s12909-022-03121-3.

Authors

Ahmed Assar^{1

2}, Sajeda Ghassan Matar^{1

3}, Elfatih A Hasabo^{4

5}, Sarah Makram Elsayed^{1

6}, Mohamed Sayed Zaazouee^{1

7}, Aboalmagd Hamdallah^{1

8}, Alaa Ahmed Elshanbary^{1

9}, Asmaa Khaled^{1

10}, Helmy Badr^{1

10}, Hanan Abukmail^{1

11}, Khaled Mohamed Ragab^{1

12}, Shaimaa Sherif Soliman²; IMedRA team of collaborators

Collaborators

IMedRA team of collaborators:
Hamel Asma, Wiame Benhabiles, Imane Sahraoui, Boutheyna Drid, Imane Bakhtaoui, Nadia Hamidi, Mississilia Boulemssamer, Nour Salem, Yazan Omar Alawneh, Sief-Addeen Ziad Al-Tahayneh, Malak Eyad Abu Qaddoura, Hala Aladwan, Obada Ahmad Obada Ahmad, Khulood Nasr, Mahmoud Aref Aref Aldrini, Nataly Mazen Mazen Salhab, Omar A A Safarini, Sami Dia, Sadi Yehiankhala, Yousef Maher Maher Abuiriban, Nataly Mazen Mazen Salhab, Mohammed Al-Kfarna, Rasha Mansour, Maria Nabil Nabil Alfathi, Rania Moh Hafez Mahfoud, Sami Jomaa, Mais Amin Amin Ibrahim, Abd Shbani, Rand Safwan Safwan Younes, Abeer Hassan Hassan Alkodsi, Mohammad-Nasan Abdul-Baki, Alma Douedari, Mai Deyaeldin Mohamed Mahmoud, Mona Muhe Eldeen Eshag AbdAlrhman, Nosuiba Hamad Jumaa Mohamed, Delas Hussain, Mohamed Marey Yahya Hassan, Noha Ahmed Ahmed Ammar, Marwa Abdelazim Abdelazim Rizk, Hossam Aldein Samir AbdElazeem, Ahmed Essam Helmy Mohammed, Shaimaa Abdelbadea, Hussien Saad Saad El-Ansarey, Mariam Ahmed Ahmed Maray, Ahmed Sultan, Ahmed Farag, Manar Hamdy Mohammed, Maryam Abd Elmalak Shafik, Mohamed Essam, Asia Hamdy, Karim Usama, Yara Sakr

Affiliations

¹ International Medical Research Association (IMedRA), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
² Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin El-kom, Egypt.
³ Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
⁴ International Medical Research Association (IMedRA), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. elfatih.ahmed.hasabo@gmail.com.
⁵ Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan. elfatih.ahmed.hasabo@gmail.com.
⁶ Faculty of Medicine, October 6 University, Giza, Egypt.
⁷ Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Assuit, Egypt.
⁸ Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Damietta, Egypt.
⁹ Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
¹⁰ Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
¹¹ Faculty of Medicine, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza, Palestine.
¹² Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: The involvement of the undergraduates in the research field requires a better view of their potential and the anticipated barriers facing them. This study aims to assess the undergraduates' knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceived barriers towards research in six Arab countries.

Methods: A cross sectional study included medical students from six Arab countries, where a self-administered five-section questionnaire was used to assess the students' demographics, knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceived barriers. The questionnaire was distributed in the online educational platforms of the participating medical schools in the six included countries.

Results: The total sample of recruited students was 2989, the majority of students (91.6%) showed poor level of knowledge regarding research. Generally high levels of positive attitudes towards research, research relevance and usefulness were found, with moderate levels of perception of research anxiety and difficulty. 33.7% (n = 1006) participated in an actual research project before with a mean of .5 publications per student. Cross-sectional studies were the most common type of studies conducted by students (38.6%), followed by case reports (23.9%). Lack of access to lab equipment for lab research (68.1%), the priority of education over research (66.8%), and lack of time because of educational tasks (66.1%) were generally the top perceived barriers towards research practice.

Conclusion: In the current study, the participants showed a poor knowledge level with associated positive attitudes towards research. One third of the students participated in research projects that mostly were cross-sectional studies and case reports. Educational tasks and lack of support were the most prevalent barriers. The students' positive attitudes towards research need to be translated into better knowledge and appropriate practice, which can be done by development of better training systems and more structured mentoring.

Keywords: Attitudes; Knowledge; Medical research; Practices; Undergraduate research.

MeSH terms

Arabs
Cross-Sectional Studies
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Students, Medical*
Surveys and Questionnaires