[Reliability of a questionnaire used in the long-term follow up of the opinion and perceptions of family medicine by medical students of the University of Zaragoza (Spain)]

Five Years Of Family Medicine Undergraduate Education In Ghana: A Wake-Up Call!

OBJECTIVES

Given the introduction in 2008 of undergraduate family medicine in the University of Ghana, the study aimed to identify the perceptions of medical students in Ghana about family medicine with regard to knowledge and relevance as well as specialty preferences.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey.

METHOD

Investigators conducted yearly surveys of first clinical year students at the University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry over a 5-year period (2008-2012) using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analysed using the first class group as baseline for comparison.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Trends in respondents' awareness of different aspects of family medicine, their attitudes towards the specialty and their expressed preference or lack of preference for family medicine as a potential specialty for themselves.

RESULTS

Over the five-year period, 748 of 893 eligible first year students participated which comprised 84% of students. Awareness of family medicine as a medical specialty remained high but insignificantly declined over the period of study (88% to 80%, p=0.058). Preference for family medicine as career choice remained low at 4%, but an increase from 2% baseline though insignificant (p=0.397). The primary reason for not listing family medicine as career choice was unfamiliarity with the specialty (80%).

CONCLUSION

Although awareness of family medicine among medical students in Ghana remains relatively high, their knowledge is insufficient to influence their career decisions for family medicine. This is a wake-up call!

FUNDING

None declared.

[Development And Validation Of A Breastfeeding Knowledge And Skills Questionnaire]

INTRODUCTION

Pediatricians play a key role in the onset and duration of breastfeeding. Although it is known that they lack formal education on this subject, there are currently no validated tools available to assess pediatrician knowledge regarding breastfeeding.

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate a Breastfeeding Knowledge and Skills Questionnaire for Pediatricians.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Once the knowledge areas were defined, a representative sample of pediatricians was chosen to carry out the survey. After pilot testing, non-discriminating questions were removed. Content validity was assessed by 14 breastfeeding experts, who examined the test, yielding 22 scorable items (maximum score: 26 points). To approach criterion validity, it was hypothesized that a group of pediatricians with a special interest in breastfeeding (1) would obtain better results than pediatricians from a hospital without a maternity ward (2), and the latter would obtain a higher score than the medical residents of Pediatrics training in the same hospital (3). The questionnaire was also evaluated before and after a basic course in breastfeeding.

RESULTS

Breastfeeding experts have an index of agreement of >.90 for each item. The 3 groups (n=82) were compared, finding significant differences between group (1) and the rest. Moreover, an improvement was observed in the participants who attended the breastfeeding course (n=31), especially among those with less initial knowledge. Regarding reliability, internal consistency (KR-20=.87), interobserver agreement, and temporal stability were examined, with satisfactory results.

CONCLUSIONS

A practical and self-administered tool is presented to assess pediatrician knowledge regarding breastfeeding, with a documented validity and reliability.