Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding risk factors of coronary heart disease among the medical students of Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Coronary heart disease (CHD) stands as the foremost cause of non-communicable disease-related fatalities worldwide, with Sri Lanka being no exception. Knowledge, attitude, and practices with regard to risk factors of CHD are associated with mortality and morbidity due to CHD and therefore are considered primary targets for prevention of the disease. The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices with regard to risk factors of CHD among the medical students of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a Google Form. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and chi-square test. Of the 375 respondents, 205 were from the first-year batch and 170 from the second-year batch. The mean age of the participants was 22.09±0.05, with the majority being female (62.4%). The mean and standard deviation of the knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 86.66%±8.85%, 73.83%±9.54%, and 86.45%±11.56%, respectively. Obesity was the risk factor known by the majority (99.7%) of the participants. The knowledge of “the level of physical activity sufficient to prevent CHD” scored the least (35.5%) among all risk factors. Coursework was the most utilized source of knowledge (n = 300, 80%). The association between attitudes and practices was found to be statistically significant (χ2 = 4.980, p = 0.026). The knowledge regarding risk factors was statistically significant across the batches (χ2 = 16.930, p = 0.000). Regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to CHD risk factors, respectively, only 59.73%, 13.83%, and 55.20% of participants achieved a score above 85%. With a cutoff threshold set at 85%, there is evident room for improvement in the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical students concerning CHD risk factors.