Knowledge of Scabies Among a Cohort of Medical Students

Abstract

Scabies is a common skin infestation, endemic in developing countries, usually affecting families and large groups of people living together. The intense discomfort caused by the primary disease, the life threatening complications from secondary bacterial infection, along with the challenges and costs of correct diagnosis and proper treatment make it a public health problem. Sufficient knowledge about scabies by healthcare professionals is an essential tool in fighting the scourge of scabies. Methods: We undertook a survey to assess the level of knowledge about scabies among clinical medical students, potential doctors who had completed postings in dermatology and paediatrics where the subject of scabies is routinely taught, with the aim of identifying any possible needs for an improved education on this topic. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to a cohort of clinical medical students in a university, selected by multi-staged random sampling. Results: Of 140 medical students surveyed, the overall mean knowledge score was 7.8±2.4 out of a maximum of 14 correct answers. Only 13(9.3%) of them had satisfactory scores (≥ 75%). Neither gender, number of years in medical school or having seen at least one clinical case of scabies influenced the knowledge. Conclusion: There exists a poor knowledge of scabies among clinical students who are potential doctors.