Association between health risk knowledge and risk behavior among medical students and residents in Yerevan

Abstract

Objectives. The objectives of this study were to investigate the association between health risk knowledge/perception and risk behaviors among medical students and residents in Yerevan, to reveal the determinants of risk behaviors, and to examine the degree and direction of the associations between individual characteristics and risk behavior. Methods. A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional survey design was used. Risk behavior and health risk knowledge/perception were assessed using an anonymous self- administrated questionnaire completed by 163 participants. Risk-taking behavior was measured as the number of all risk behaviors during lifetime. Knowledge/perception was measured by the extent to which subjects agreed with statements of risk-related information. Two-sample t-test, ANOVA, simple linear regression and multiple linear regression modeling were used to analyze associations between total risk and health knowledge/perception , age, gender, education, marital status, having children, birth order and belief in God. Results. Total risk was statistically significantly associated with all demographic characteristics of participants (age category, gender, education, marital status, and having children) except birth order (marginal significance) and attitude toward religion. Knowledge/perception about health risks was not associated with behaviors of interest investigated in this study after it was adjusted for the potential “confounders” age, gender, education, marital status, birth order, having children, and belief in God. There was a statistically significant interaction between marital status and knowledge/perception. After introducing the interaction term into the regression model, it was detected a statistically significant association between total risk and knowledge/perception. Being married versus being single predicts less decrease in the number of reported risk behaviors with one-point higher knowledge/perception score in this population. Conclusion. This study provided some preliminary results regarding the relationships between health risk knowledge and risk behaviors among medical students and residents in Yerevan. Some individual and demographic characteristics were associated with the behavior of this population. Knowledge/perception of health risk did not appear to be a statistically significant predictor of risk behavior. Considering the limitations of this study (instrument was not validated in Armenia, interview bias, and low external validity) more research is needed to adequately assess the selected factors, particularly, knowledge and perceptions of health risk, on risk behaviors of medical students in Armenia.