IJAR.2025.105
Type of Article: Original Research
Volume 13; Issue 1 (March 2025)
Page No.: 9162-9167
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.16965/ijar.2025.105
Knowledge and Attitude of Medical Students toward the Risks of Formaldehyde in the Dissection Room: A Survey Study
Yousif Balla 1a,1b, Abdalla Ahmed Eldaw Elamin *2, Nasreldin Marhoum Ahmed 3, Naveen Kumar 4, Mohamed Anas Patni 5, Saadeldin Ahmed Idris 6.
1a Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Neelain University, Khartoum. Sudan.
1b Department of Anatomy, kampala International University, Western Campus, Uganda. ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0854-4453
*2 Department of Anatomy, RAK College of Medical Sciences, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1424-501X
3 Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh-KSA. ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5164-4453
4 Department of Anatomy, RAK College of Medical Sciences, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2805-779X
5 Department of Community Medicine, RAK College of Medical Sciences, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6948-3619
6 Departments of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Hail, Hail, KSA. ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7556-5856
Corresponding Author: Dr. Abdalla Ahmed Eldaw Elamin, Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, RAK College of Medical Sciences, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. E-Mail: abdallakasambr@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Background: Formaldehyde (FA) is used to keep the cadavers from decomposition. Medical students are at higher risk of exposure to formalin during anatomy practical sessions. The study aimed to assess the awareness of medical students at Al-Neelain University in Sudan regarding the health risks of FA exposure, and to inform interventions to improve safety practices in the medical training environment.
Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional institutional-based study was conducted among second-year medical students, at the Faculty of Medicine, Al-Neelain University, Khartoum, Sudan, during the academic year from March 2023 to September 2023. A structured questionnaire was developed to assess the student’s knowledge, attitudes, and sources of information regarding the hazards of FA exposure. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, with t-tests and chi-square tests were applied to ascertain statistical significance.
Results: This cross-sectional study involved 147 medical students, comprising a predominantly 88 females (59.9%) and 59 males (40.1%). An assessment of the participants’ comprehension of the potential hazards associated with FA exposure revealed that the majority exhibited a fair level of knowledge (68.0%), while smaller proportions demonstrated either a good (16.3%) or poor (15.6%) knowledge. Regarding attitudes, the data indicated that the overwhelming majority harbored a positive, or “good”, disposition (85.0%), in contrast to the minority who expressed fair (10.9%) or poor (4.1%) attitudes. The primary sources of information were cited as colleagues (44.9%) and academic literature (26.5%). Notably, no significant differences in knowledge and attitudes were found between genders, P= 0.735, and P= 0.368 respectively.
Conclusion: Majority of medical students had fair knowledge about the risks of FA but exhibited a predominantly positive attitude towards the hazards.
Keywords: Formaldehyde, Medical Students, Dissection, Knowledge, Attitude.
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