Developing a tool to evaluate the impact of a student-led community-engaging health promotion project on knowledge translation skills in medical students.

BACKGROUND

Medical student-led health promotion projects are pivotal in enhancing community health and medical education. However, research focusing on the impact of such projects on medical students' knowledge translation skills is limited. This study aims to address this gap by developing and validating a survey tool to assess the knowledge translation skills and overall impact of a student-led health promotion project.

METHODS

We designed and validated a comprehensive survey questionnaire. The tool underwent rigorous exploratory factor analysis, content and face validity checks, and reliability testing. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical students participating in a Health Promotion Project Exhibition at Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The survey explored students' perceptions of skill development and knowledge translation effectiveness.

RESULTS

The finalized questionnaire consisted of 33 items across four domains: preparation and organization, public education and communication, personal and professional development, and overall experience. The questionnaire demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.871 to 0.968 across domains). The analysis indicated positive student perceptions across all domains, with emphasis on skills in literature search, evidence-based medicine, communication, and teamwork.

CONCLUSION

The study successfully developed a validated survey tool for assessing the impact of health promotion projects on medical students' knowledge translation skills. The positive outcomes suggest such projects significantly contribute to skill development in medical education. This tool could be utilized annually to monitor and enhance the effectiveness of health promotion projects, aligning with broader educational goals in public health and community medicine.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Not applicable as this study did not involve a clinical trial.