Awareness and predictors of female genital mutilation/cutting among young health advocates

Figures & data

Table 1 Personal and sociodemographic characteristics of the study sample

	Male		Female		Total		χ^2, P-value
	n	%	n	%	n	%
Geographical location
Lower Egypt	109	38.8	172	61.2	281	47.9	13.475, df =1, P<0.001
Upper Egypt	165	53.9	141	46.1	306	52.1
Total	274	46.7	313	53.3	587	100.0
Educational phase
Preclinical	122	45.4	147	54.6	280	46.7	0.338, df =1, P=0.561
Clinical	158	47.7	173	52.3	320	53.3
Total	280	46.7	320	53.3	600	100.0
Place of birth
Urban	218	48.4	232	51.6	450	75.0	2.286, df =1, P>0.05
Rural	62	41.3	88	58.7	150	25.0
Total	280	46.7	320	53.3	600	100.0
Circumcision status
Yes			47	14.7
No			273	85.3
Total			320	100

Note: χ²: Pearson’s chi-squared test was applied.

Abbreviation: df, degree of freedom.

Table 2 Levels of knowledge and attitude about female genital mutilation/cutting among medical students in Egypt

	Male		Female		Total
	n	%	n	%	n	%
Knowledge
Poor	144	51.4	103	32.2	247	41.2
Average	67	23.9	103	32.2	170	28.3
Good	69	24.7	114	35.6	183	30.5
Total MPS (SD)	46.71 (30.72)		59.43 (26.18)		53.50 (29.07) t=5.418, P<0.001
			χ^2=22.93, df =2, P<0.001
Attitude
Negative	66	23.6	3	0.9	69	11.5
Neutral	105	37.5	74	23.1	179	29.8
Positive	109	38.9	243	75.9	352	58.7
Total MPS (SD)	68.47 (19.91)		83.13 (12.49)		76.29 (17.93) t=10.629, P<0.001
			χ^2=111.73, df =2, P<0.001

Notes: χ²: Pearson’s chi-squared test was applied. t: Student’s t-test was applied.

Abbreviations: df, degree of freedom; MPS, mean percentage score; SD, standard deviation.

Table 3 FGM/C-related knowledge among medical students in Egypt

Knowledge statements	Yes		No		Do not know		χ^2, P-value
	n	%	n	%	n	%
FGM/C can cause difficulty with urination
Male	77	27.5	142	50.7	61	21.8	32.307, df =2, P<0.001
Female	123	38.4	90	28.1	107	33.4
Total	200	33.3	232	38.7	168	28.0
FGM/C can lead to complications during childbirth
Male	92	32.9	128	45.7	60	21.4	21.875, df =2, P<0.001
Female	133	41.6	88	27.5	99	30.9
Total	225	37.5	216	36.0	159	26.5
FGM/C can predispose to infections
Male	193	68.9	50	17.9	37	13.2	29.971, df =2, P<0.001
Female	276	86.3	17	5.3	27	8.4
Total	469	78.2	67	11.2	64	10.7
FGM/C may lead to HIV transmission if the same material is used
Male	157	56.1	75	26.8	48	17.1	51.225, df =2, P<0.001
Female	257	80.3	22	6.9	41	12.8
Total	414	69.0	97	16.2	89	14.8
FGM/C is a legal practice
Male	118	42.1	135	48.2	27	9.6	24.339, df =2, P<0.001
Female	87	27.2	162	50.6	71	22.2
Total	205	34.2	297	49.5	98	16.3

Note: χ²: Pearson’s chi-squared test was applied.

Abbreviations: df, degree of freedom; FGM/C, female genital mutilation/cutting.

Table 4 Percentage mean score (SD) for knowledge and attitude about FGM/C among medical students in Egypt

	Knowledge			Attitude
	% mean knowledge score		SD	% mean attitude score		SD
Sex
Male	46.71		30.72	68.47		19.91
Female	59.43		26.18	83.13		12.49
t, P-value		5.418, P<0.001			10.629, P<0.001
Birth origin
Urban	54.18		29.23	77.85		17.95
Rural	51.47		28.60	71.62		17.06
t, P-value		0.989, P=0.323			3.725, P<0.001
Geographical location
Lower Egypt	59.86		25.75	82.64		13.69
Upper Egypt	47.90		30.63	70.68		19.45
t, P-value		5.131, P<0.0001			8.671, P<0.001
Educational phase
Preclinical	51.30		29.17	72.79		17.95
Clinical	55.29		28.91	79.14		17.42
t, P-value		1.673, P=0.095			4.379, P<0.001
Are you circumcised?
Yes	45.11		30.78	70.33		15.24
No	61.90		24.54	85.34		10.51
t, P-value		3.552, P=0.001			6.488, P<0.001

Notes: A higher % mean attitude score denotes a more favorable attitude toward the discontinuation of FGM/C. t: Student’s t-test was applied.

Abbreviations: FGM/C, female genital mutilation/cutting; SD, standard deviation.

Table 5 Predictors of female genital mutilation/cutting among the female medical students

	Percentage total knowledge score				Percentage total attitude score
	B	SE	t-value	P-value	B	SE	t-value	P-value
Sex (1= female)	12.228	2.327	5.254	<0.001	13.868	1.268	10.933	<0.001
Origin of birth (1= urban)	3.713	2.662	1.395	0.164	6.857	1.451	4.727	<0.001
Geographical location (1= Lower Egypt)	9.881	2.343	4.217	<0.0001	9.478	1.277	7.423	<0.001
Educational phase (1= clinical)	2.693	2.330	1.156	0.248	4.842	1.270	3.814	<0.001
Circumcision status (1= non-circumcised)	12.416	4.264	2.912	0.004	13.660	1.844	7.407	<0.001

Abbreviations: B, coefficient of determination; SE, standard error.

Table 6 FGM/C-related attitudes of medical students in Egypt

Attitude statements	SA		MA		U		MD		SD		χ^2, P-value
	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
FGM/C is a religious requirement
Male	47	16.8	61	21.8	61	21.8	37	13.2	74	26.4	120.438, df =4, P=0.001
Female	1	0.3	22	6.9	42	13.1	85	26.6	170	53.1
Total	48	8	83	13.8	103	17.2	122	20.3*	244	40.7*
FGM/C is a positive tradition
Male	32	11.4	72	25.7	39	13.9	49	17.5	88	31.4	110.927, df =4, P=0.001
Female	5	1.6	11	3.4	29	9.1	85	26.6	190	59.4
Total	37	6.2	83	13.8	68	11.3	134	22.3*	278	46.3*
FGM/C is a harmful practice for girls and women
Male	95	33.9	59	21.1	38	13.6	49	17.5	39	13.9	48.249, df =4, P=0.001
Female	185	57.8	56	17.5	26	8.1	14	4.4	39	12.2
Total	280	46.7*	115	19.2*	64	10.7	63	10.5	78	13.0
FGM/C is a prerequisite for a trustworthy marriage
Male	15	5.4	27	9.6	49	17.5	102	36.4	87	31.1	59.025, df =4, P=0.001
Female	3	0.9	10	3.1	40	12.5	87	27.2	180	56.2
Total	18	3.0	37	6.2	89	14.8	189	31.5*	267	44.5*
Men prefer to marry a circumcised female
Male	28	10	37	13.2	72	25.7	47	16.8	96	34.3	53.856, df =4, P=0.001
Female	2	0.6	15	4.7	100	31.2	101	31.6	102	31.9
Total	30	5.0	52	8.7	172	28.7	148	24.7*	198	33.0*

Note: χ²: Pearson’s chi-squared test was applied.

Abbreviations: df, degree of freedom; FGM/C, female genital mutilation/cutting; MA, mildly agree; MD, mildly disagree; SA, strongly agree; SD, strongly disagree; U, unsure.

Figure 1 Mean percentage scores for knowledge and attitude of female genital mutilation/cutting in circumcised and non-circumcised female students.

Figure 2 Prevalence of female genital mutilation/cutting according to some sociodemographic characteristics.

Table 7 Personal experience/opinion related to circumcision status

	Yes		No		Do not know
	n	%	n	%	n	%
Responses from circumcised females
Have you ever been teased because of your circumcised status?	20	42.6	20	42.6	7	14.9
Do you think your circumcised status had or would have an advantage in your marriage?	5	10.6	21	44.7	21	44.7
Will you have your daughter circumcised?	7	14.9	22	46.8	18	38.3
Did you gain any benefits from being circumcised?	5	10.6	18	38.3	24	51.1
Do you think that it would have been better if you were not circumcised?	10	21.3	15	31.9	22	46.8
Have you been harmed from being circumcised?	12	25.5	28	59.6	7	14.9
Responses from non-circumcised females
Have you ever been teased because of your uncircumcised status?	32	11.7	217	79.5	24	8.8
Do you think that your uncircumcised status may negatively affect your marriage?	5	1.8	194	71.1	74	27.1
Do you discuss your circumcision status with other people?	43	15.8	206	75.5	24	8.8