Unveiling the Landscape of Animal Research Ethics among Saudi Health College Students
Unveiling the Landscape of Animal Research Ethics among Saudi Health College Students
Heba El-Sayed Mostafa1,2*, Lama Sulaiman Alahmadi1, Shiyma Abullah Alrahule1, Nada Fareed Alzughaibi1, Hala Rafat Zulali1, Yasmin Islam Magdi3, Saada Saad Alharbi1
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to measure the awareness and prevalence of ethics of animal research among undergraduate health college students in Saudi Arabia. Also, to estimate the prevalence of knowledge and identify the attitudes and beliefs among male and female students. To explore the possible solutions for these gaps of knowledge and areas to recommend these solutions to the concerned authorities. An observational cross-sectional study. This study was conducted at health colleges in Saudi Arabia. Telephone/face-to-face questionnaires were collected by data collectors using multistage and cluster sampling. There were four sections to the questionnaire, which were available in both Arabic and English. The questions in the first section focused on sociodemographic data. The second section asked questions concerning broad research ethics knowledge. In the third section, there were inquiries concerning the moral justifications for animal research arguments. The last section asked about general opinions about animal research. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Categorical variables were identified as frequencies and percentages using the Chi-squared test. Results: The results showed that most participants (89.6%) knew about the ethics of research, and the highest source of knowledge was the college curriculum (44.7%). There was a statistically significant difference in overall knowledge among the age groups, with students above 22 years having the highest mean knowledge. About animal research, most participants agreed that animal research has great benefits for humans (80.7%). Unexpected findings that 39% believed that animal research should be conducted in favor of human benefits even if it causes harm to animals. The study found that a considerable number (75.5%) of participants favored the use of animals in scientific research. There was a statistically significant increase (P ≤ 0.05) in those who accepted the use of animals as they got older. Binary multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that females and those in the medicine specialty were significant predictors of opinions on animal research. Linear regression analysis showed that age and source of knowledge were significant predictors of overall knowledge score on general knowledge of ethics in research. Conclusion: In conclusion, Saudi Arabia’s undergraduate health college students are aware of ethical issues related to animal research, but a sizable part expresses ambivalence. Older age correlates with higher knowledge scores, but there is a lack of recognition for critical ethical documents.
Keywords | Research ethics, Health colleges, Students, Animal ethics, Welfare, Saudi Arabia
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