Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Medical Students Regarding Risk of Blood-Borne Transmitted Diseases: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Medical students are at a high risk of exposure to Blood-borne Pathogens (BBP) through their earlier clinical exposure. Aim: Herein, we aim to evaluate their knowledge about BBP and demonstrate their attitudes toward reporting the exposure incident. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire amongst medical students-Umm Al-Qura University. Results: With a moderate response rate (66.5%, n = 905), about 90% (n = 817) of participants had previous knowledge about BBP, 53.5% (n = 484) of the students had a high knowledge level about the mode of transmission of BBP, 78.7% (n = 713) demonstrated low attitudes toward the BBP. About 18% (n= 164) of the respondents were exposed at least once to BBP. The main hazards for student exposure to BBP were younger age, females, lacking prior education about BBP at or after the third year, human immunodeficiency virus as a BBP of major concern, and ignorance of reporting procedures. Conclusion: Inadequate knowledge about BBP and some gaps in reporting were observed. Actual effective education for prevention and management is essential to minimize occupational exposure. In addition, it is compulsory to ensure students' knowledge and understanding before allowing them to start clinical training.