MEDICAL STUDENTS ATTITUDES AND KNOWLEDGE TOWARDS BIOSTATISTICS

Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto

Introdução à Medicina – 2007/2008Class 8

AimsAims Survey DescriptionSurvey Description Sample MethodsSample Methods Sample DescriptionSample Description Stastical analysisStastical analysis ResultsResults Preliminar ConclusionsPreliminar Conclusions

Main aims: Main aims: Determine the importance they give to this subject in medical education;

Evaluate senior medical students about their knowledge on biostatistics,

supported by a survey;

Evaluate the level of discrepancy between their opinion about

biostatistics importance in making medical decisions and their skills

on the field.

SecondarySecondary aims: aims:Compare our results with the results obtained in the study we based

on. (“Medicine Residents' Understanding of the Biostatistics and Results in

the Medical Literature”; JAMA; 2007 )

Our survey is divided in two different sections:

First Section:First Section: Individual Questions :

- subjective character;

- regarding attitudes;

Second Section:Second Section: Multiple-choice questions :

- objective character;

- regarding knowledge.

Study participants were selected among the 5Study participants were selected among the 5thth year medical students of Faculdade year medical students of Faculdade

de Medicina da UP.de Medicina da UP.

7 classes (194 students)

4 classes selected(class 2, 3, 5 e 6)

Potential sample:

87 students

Our sample is composed by 31 medical students attending to 5Our sample is composed by 31 medical students attending to 5 thth

year of Faculdade de Medicina da UP, in which we have 17 year of Faculdade de Medicina da UP, in which we have 17

men and 14 women.men and 14 women.

SPSSSPSS®® Program ― analysis of collected data Program ― analysis of collected data

through the survey, using Chi-square Tests;through the survey, using Chi-square Tests;

Create a table data and compare it with the Create a table data and compare it with the

results of the referenced article.results of the referenced article. (“Medicine Residents'

Understanding of the Biostatistics and Results in the Medical Literature”;

JAMA; 2007 )

67,7% agrees that biostatistics is a 67,7% agrees that biostatistics is a

very important subject on medical very important subject on medical

education.education.

The survey’s 2nd section The survey’s 2nd section

results presents a normal results presents a normal

distribution.distribution.

K-S test: p=0,92p> 0,05 (0,05 is the level of significancy), so the distribution is normal.

14%

Chi-Square test: p=0,808p>0,05, so, there is no relation between the test results and the students conviction about their knowledge on biostatistics.

29% 57%

25% 33%

33%50%17%

42%

Chi-square test:p=0,010p<0,05, so there is a relation between test results and students wish of learning more about biostatistics.

83%

44%44%11%

17%

43%57%

Chi-square test:p=0,024P<0,05, so there is a relation between test results and the importance given to biostatistics as a subject on medical education.

60%40%

100%

24%48%29%

The majority of the students which had the highest results on The majority of the students which had the highest results on

the test (between 14 and 17) are the ones:the test (between 14 and 17) are the ones:

• who consider biostatistics teaching important on medical education; who consider biostatistics teaching important on medical education;

• who reveal to be the most interested on increasing their knowledge on this who reveal to be the most interested on increasing their knowledge on this

area.area.