Healthcare Seeking Behaviour in Medical and Non-Medical Students: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study in Tangerang Indonesia
Abstract
Background: Adolescence is a phase in life where one grows and learns about necessary skills and particular knowledge. One of the top barriers to seeking health-care in medical students is academic reprisal because they fear that whatever illness will affect them adversely. This study aimed to look at health-care-seeking behaviors in Indonesian medical students as compare to non-medical students.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was done at the Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Indonesia. Independent T-test analysis and chi-square performed using SPSS version 25.
Results: There were 428 participants in this study with 261 (60.98%) female respondents. There were a significant mean difference (p = 0.0014) in the age at which they start working for the first time in the medical groups (17.96 years) and non-medical groups (18.75 years). In addition, a significant difference depicted (p = 0.044) on accessing of health-care facilities as medical students (59.26%) as compared to non-medical students (40.74%).
Conclusion: There were a significant mean difference between medical students and non-medical students regarding their health-care-seeking behavior. Although often overlooked, adolescents also require health-care treatments, either medically or mentally.
Abstrak
Latar Belakang: Masa remaja merupakan fase dalam kehidupan dimana seseorang tumbuh dan belajar tentang keterampilan dan pengetahuan yang diperlukan di masa depan. Salah satu hambatan utama untuk mencari perawatan kesehatan pada mahasiswa kedokteran adalah dampak negatif secara akademis karena mereka takut bahwa penyakit yang diderita akan memberi dampak negatif bagi mereka. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat perilaku pencarian pelayanan kesehatan pada mahasiswa kedokteran di Indonesia dan membandingkannya dengan mahasiswa non kedokteran.
Metode: Studi potong lintang dilakukan di Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Indonesia. Analisis Independent T-test dan chi-square dilakukan dengan menggunakan SPSS versi 25.
Hasil: Terdapat 428 peserta dalam penelitian ini dengan 261 (60,98%) responden perempuan. Terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan (p = 0,0014) pada usia pertama kali bekerja pada kelompok medis (17,96 tahun) dan non-medis (18,75 tahun). Perbedaan signifikan (p = 0,044) juga tampak pada akses layanan kesehatan dimana mahasiswa kedokteran (59,26%) lebih sering mengakses fasilitas kesehatan dibandingkan dengan mahasiswa non-medis (40,74%).
Kesimpulan: Terdapat perbedaan rata-rata yang bermakna antara perilaku mahasiswa kedokteran dan mahasiswa non-medis dalam mencari pelayanan kesehatan. Meski sering diabaikan, remaja sesungguhnya membutuhkan perawatan kesehatan, baik secara medis maupun mental.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Dyana Safitri Velies, Gilbert Sterling Octavius, Sherly Sherly, Cindy Riannie, Veli Sungono, Fransisca Handy Agung
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