ASSESSMENT OF THE AWARENESS AND OPINIONS OF TURKISH MEDICAL STUDENTS TOWARDS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: A QUESTIONNAIRE-BASED STUDY

Abstract

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the opinions of medical students about violence against women, the education they receive during medical school regarding violence against women, and how they would manage a case of violence victims if they were to encounter it in their medical careers. Methods: In this question- naire-based study, 610 medical students from 37 medical schools were approached, and their opinions towards violence against women were evaluated through an online questionnaire. Demographic data such as age and gender were also gathered. Students were grouped according to their gender (male and female) and study levels; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades were grouped as pre-clinical, whereas students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades were grouped as clinical. In comparing para- metric variables, the Student’s t-test was used, whereas, in non-parametric variables, the Mann-Whitney U test was used. The Chi-square test was used in the comparison of categorical variables. Results: There was a statistically significant difference within both groups (gender and study levels) for questions 5 (Which of the following would you describe as violence? [Multiple answers are allowed.]) and 13 (Do you think female physicians are exposed to violence more?). Our results also demonstrate a statistically significant difference for questions 15 (Is it obligatory for a physician to keep a legal report for a female patient who has been admitted to the emergency department as a victim of violence), 16 (It is not obligatory for a physician to keep a legal report for a female patient who has been admitted to the emergency department as a victim of violence without her consent.), and 17 (A physician is not obliged to complete the physical examina- tion or continue the diagnosis-treatment process of a female patient who has been a subject of violence without her consent.) between pre-clinical and clinical groups, where the clinical group gave the most correct answers. Conclusion: In conclusion, our results gave us a perspective that clinical students' awareness and management of violence against women is higher than pre-clinical students'. These results may be attributed to two factors; lectures on violence against women or the experience students attain during their clinical practices. Female students were keener in participating in our study. Further prospective studies with equal gender distribution investigating the possible impact of lectures about violence against women on physicians' management of similar situations are needed.