title: Factors influencing health professions students' use of computers for data analysis at three Ugandan public medical schools: a cross-sectional survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Effective utilization of computers and their applications in medical education and research is of paramount importance to students. The objective of this study was to determine the association between owning a computer and use of computers for research data analysis and the other factors influencing health professions students' computer use for data analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross sectional study among undergraduate health professions students at three public universities in Uganda using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of questions on participant demographics, students' participation in research, computer ownership, and use of computers for data analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics (uni-variable and multi- level logistic regression analysis) were used to analyse data. The level of significance was set at 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred (600) of 668 questionnaires were completed and returned (response rate 89.8%). A majority of respondents were male (68.8%) and 75.3% reported owning computers. Overall, 63.7% of respondents reported that they had ever done computer based data analysis. The following factors were significant predictors of having ever done computer based data analysis: ownership of a computer (adj. OR 1.80, p = 0.02), recently completed course in statistics (Adj. OR 1.48, p =0.04), and participation in research (Adj. OR 2.64, p <0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Owning a computer, participation in research and undertaking courses in research methods influence undergraduate students' use of computers for research data analysis. Students are increasingly participating in research, and thus need to have competencies for the successful conduct of research. Medical training institutions should encourage both curricular and extra-curricular efforts to enhance research capacity in line with the modern theories of adult learning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. imunabi@chs.mak.ac.ug.
authors.forename: Ian G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Munabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. wbuwembo@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Buwembo
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Kampala, Uganda. fbaj@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bajunirwe
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda. klagoro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: David Lagoro
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kitara
authors.affiliation: Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. jruberwa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ruberwa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. pkawungezi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Kawungezi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. cobua@chs.mak.ac.ug.
authors.forename: Celestino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Obua
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, College of Computing and Information Sciences Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. jquinn@cit.ac.ug.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda. erisamwaka@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Erisa S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Mwaka
mesh_terms: D003201:Computers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014454:Uganda; D014495:Universities