Perceptions of medical students regarding dimensions of environmental wellness.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the status of awareness on environmental wellness in medical students of Karachi.


METHODS
The cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was carried out at Bahria University Medical & Dental College, Karachi, from January 2009 to July 2013, and comprised randomly selected medical students. The response options were; never, sometimes, mostly and always (numbered 0-4) and these were analyzed in terms of frequency, proportion and percentages by Predictive analysis software version18.


RESULTS
Out of 800 questionnaires distributed, 736(92%) were received fully completed. There were 210(28.5%) male and 526(71.5%) female respondents, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2.5. Female medical students were more serious in taking care of their environment tasks (p< 0.0001). They knew their responsibility to preserve environment and consciously tried to conserve energy more than the male students (p=0.034). The proportions of admitting disposal of garbage in dustbins was found more in females than males (p< 0.0005). Though 486(66%) participants were interested in knowing about environmental problems, females tended to be more in liking greenery in their place of residence (p< 0.0005) and lived in harmony with nature and universe (p< 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Medical students were aware of the concept of environmental wellness, but female medical students had a better perception and were a step ahead in its realization.
Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Dentistry, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences, Jamshoro.
Shahjahan
S
Katpar
Public Health Physician, Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi.
Rakhshaan
R
Khan
Senior Lecturer Physiology, Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi.
Rabia
R
Siddiqui
Senior Lecturer of Biostatistics, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi.
Mehwish
M
Hussain
Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi.
Rehana
R
Rehman
D001290:Attitude; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan; D012737:Sex Factors; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018505:Waste Management
Wellness, Environmental wellness, Wellness wheel, Medical students, Pakistan.