Medical students’ attitude towards cultural diversity: a cross-sectional study at a health sciences university in eastern Nepal

OBJECTIVES: To assess the attitude of medical students towards cultural diversity aiming to elucidate our current status in understanding cultural awareness and sensitivity. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A web-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 601 undergraduate health science students (medical and dental courses) at a health sciences university in eastern Nepal via various modes of social-media platforms like WhatsApp, Messenger, Gmail, etc. OUTCOME MEASURES: Medical students’ attitude towards cultural diversity and its association with the sociodemographic profile of the students. RESULTS: A total of 601 students participated in the study, out of which, 64.2% were men with a sex ratio of 1.8:1 and a mean age of 22.3±1.9 years. More than two-thirds (77.2%) of the students had an excellent to good attitude towards cultural diversity. The proportion of students reporting ‘excellent’ attitude towards cultural diversity was higher among male students compared with female students (37.8% vs 20.5%) and students aged >22 years compared with younger students (37.1% vs 26.7%). Gender (p<0.001) and age (p=0.009) were significantly associated with the attitude towards cultural diversity. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students, in general, are aware of the impacts of a cross-cultural society on the delivery of quality healthcare and also about the need to be aware of prejudices doctors may have towards certain cultures. Majority suggest the inclusion of concepts of multicultural awareness and sensitivity in the medical curriculum itself.