Interest, knowledge, and awareness of medical students regarding forensic medicine

V. INTERNATIONAL SIIRT CONFERENCE on SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, Siirt, Türkiye, 28 - 30 Kasım 2025, ss.6-7, (Özet Bildiri)

Forensic medicine plays a fundamental role as a core discipline in the development of medical

students’ professional knowledge, ethical sensitivity, and awareness of legal responsibility. The

aim of this study is to evaluate medical students’ levels of knowledge, interest, and awareness

regarding forensic medicine in relation to various socio-demographic variables, and to examine

the possible effects of these variables on students’ academic performance. The research was

conducted among sixth-year students of Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine and Erzurum

Faculty of Medicine of the University of Health Sciences. A four-part questionnaire, developed

based on expert opinions, was administered to determine participants’ levels of knowledge,

interest, and awareness regarding forensic medicine. The first part of the questionnaire

consisted of demographic information; the second part included items on interest and attitudes

toward forensic medicine; the third part assessed knowledge level; and the fourth part focused

on awareness. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were evaluated using Cronbach’s

Alpha coefficients. The coefficient was found to be 0.78 for the interest/attitude subscale

(acceptable), 0.91 for knowledge level, and 0.94 for awareness (both excellent). The Kaiser-

Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value was 0.87, indicating excellent sampling adequacy for factor

analysis. The Bartlett’s test of sphericity result (χ² = 10867, p < 0.001) demonstrated significant

correlations among the variables. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and

comparative analyses in the SPSS program. The analyses revealed that an increase in mothers’

education levels was associated with higher levels of forensic medicine knowledge among

students. Age was found to have a positive effect on students’ knowledge, interest, and

awareness in the field of forensic medicine, suggesting that maturity, experience, and

professional role awareness contribute to success. Furthermore, as income levels increased,

students’ interest in forensic medicine also increased. Female students demonstrated

significantly higher levels of awareness compared to male students, consistent with literature

indicating that women tend to be more sensitive to forensic and ethical issues. In addition, a

positive and significant correlation was found among the factors of interest, knowledge, and

awareness related to forensic medicine. The findings indicate that socio-demographic variables

significantly influence medical students’ levels of knowledge, interest, and awareness in the

field of forensic medicine. These results suggest that enhancing awareness and interest in

forensic medicine within medical education programs may contribute to strengthening students’

ethical and legal competencies.

Keywords: Forensic Medicine, Medical Education, Awareness, Ethics, Socio-demographic

Factors.