Does medical student willingness to practise peer physical examination translate into action?

Figures & data

Table

Practice points

Though willing to practise PPE, a notable proportion of students do not transform this willingness into action in a CSP, even for non-intimate body regions. Female students are more likely to exhibit attitude–behaviour inconsistency for PPE. Students are positive about the use of PPE as a learning tool and many supplement their classroom instruction by informally practising PPE on their own time. The use of a logbook is suggested as a means to facilitate and document students’ actual practice of PPE.

Table 1  Background characteristics of respondents

		Pre-CSP (n = 124)	Post-CSP (matched questionnaires n = 83)
Gender	Male (%)	56	60
	Female (%)	44	40
Median age (years)		19	19
Chinese ethnicity (%)		100	100
Considers self-religious (%)		32	32

Table 2  Frequencies of students willing to engage in PPE before and after the CSP (n = 83)

	Student examining (%)				Student being examined (%)
	Same gender		Opposite gender		Same gender		Opposite gender
Body regions	Pre	Post	Pre	Post	Pre	Post	Pre	Post
Head and neck	100.0	95.2	100.0	96.4	100.0	96.4	100.0	97.6
Hands	100.0	96.4	100.0	97.6	100.0	97.6	100.0	97.6
Arm and shoulder	100.0	96.4	100.0	97.6	100.0	97.6	98.8	97.6
Upper body^a	92.8	91.6	90.4	86.7	84.3	84.3	74.7	81.9
Breast	69.9	66.3	69.9	63.9	56.6	63.9	49.4	63.9
Abdomen	95.2	92.8	91.6	90.4	89.2	89.2	78.3	86.7
Back	98.8	94.0	96.4	90.4	98.8	90.4	90.4	86.7
Groin region^b	75.9	62.7	56.6	55.4	54.2	48.2	41.0	38.6
Genitals	31.3	36.1	25.3	33.7	12.0	20.5	9.6	18.1
Feet	100.0	95.2	100.0	96.4	98.8	96.4	98.8	97.6
Legs	100.0	96.4	97.6	97.6	100.0	97.6	97.6	97.6
Hips	84.3	77.1	71.1	72.3	100.0	75.9	50.6	68.7

Notes: Numbers in bold indicate a statistically significant pre-/post-difference (p < 0.05, McNemar test).

^ano breast exposure and ^bno genital exposure.

Table 3  Frequencies of student willingness and actual participation in PPE (n = 83)

	Frequencies (%)			Frequencies (%)
	Student examining			Student being examined
Body regions	Willingness	Action	p-Value (McNemar test)	Willingness	Action	p-Value (McNemar test)
Head and neck	100.0	86.7	0.001	100.0	77.1	<0.001
Hands	100.0	91.6	0.016	100.0	84.3	<0.001
Arm and shoulder	100.0	92.8	0.031	100.0	85.5	<0.001
Upper body^a	95.2	83.1	0.031	85.5	53.0	<0.001
Abdomen	96.4	86.7	0.057	89.2	53.0	<0.001
Back	98.8	74.7	<0.001	98.8	38.6	<0.001
Groin region^a	75.9	20.5	<0.001	54.2	7.2	<0.001
Feet	100.0	89.2	0.004	98.8	68.7	<0.001
Legs	100.0	90.4	0.008	100.0	77.1	<0.001
Hips	84.3	28.9	<0.001	68.7	22.9	<0.001

Notes: ^aNo breast exposure and ^bno genital exposure.

Table 4  Frequency of students whose willingness to practise PPE did not translate into action and gender association with this attitude–behaviour inconsistency (n = 83)

	Student examining			Student being examined
Body regions	n	(Percent)	Gender association	n	(Percent)	Gender association
Head and neck	11	(13)	NS	19	(23)	NS
Hands	7	(8)	NS	13	(16)	NS
Arm and shoulder	6	(7)	NS	12	(15)	NS
Upper body	14	(17)	NS	31	(37)	F>M
Abdomen	11	(13)	F>M	32	(39)	F>M
Back	21	(25)	NS	50	(60)	F>M
Groin region	49	(59)	NS	39	(47)	NS
Feet	9	(11)	NS	26	(31)	NS
Legs	8	(10)	NS	19	(23)	NS
Hips	48	(58)	NS	40	(48)	NS

Notes: The bold phase indicates gender was significantly associated with attitude–behaviour inconsistency (p < 0.05, chi-squared test).

F>M indicates more female students demonstrated attitude–behaviour inconsistency than male students.

NS: association of gender with attitude–behaviour inconsistency was not statistically significant.