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El Seifi OS, Alenazi AA, Alfuhaymani AM, Alanazi AA, Alanazi OA, Alanazi LA, Albalawi NM, Alharbi FS, ALQasir DA. The Level of Empathy Among Medical Students at the University of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Cureus 2024; 16:e51710. [PMID: 38314007 PMCID: PMC10838583 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.51710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and objective Empathy plays an important role in patient-provider relationships. It is a key aspect of therapy, ensuring accurate diagnosis, and improving compliance and outcomes, all of which contribute to clinician satisfaction. This study aimed to assess the level of empathy among medical students at the University of Tabuk. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students at Tabuk University. Data were collected using a self-administered online questionnaire based on the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Student Version (JSPE-S). Results A total of 230 medical students participated in this study. The students' total empathy scores ranged between 55 and 131, with a mean of 99.05 ± 13.75. The highest item score was obtained for the question "Patients feel better when their physicians understand their feelings" (6.34 ± 0.99). Female students had a significantly (p=0.002) higher mean score (100.67 ± 13.06) than males (94.36 ± 14.70). Students from the clinical phase had a significantly higher mean total score compared to those from preclinical phases (100.26 ± 14.34 vs. 96.78 ± 12.33, p=0.043). Students choosing people-oriented specialties had significantly higher mean total scores than those selecting procedure-oriented specialties (100.59 ± 13.72 vs. 95.67 ± 14.46, p=0.033). Conclusion The degree of students' empathy with the patients at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk was found to be highest among females, students in the clinical phase, and students intending to select people-oriented specialties. These findings have implications for medical education programs, highlighting the importance of fostering empathy skills and addressing potential gender differences in empathy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omnia S El Seifi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, SAU
- Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, EGY
| | - Amal A Alenazi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, SAU
| | - Asmaa M Alfuhaymani
- Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, SAU
| | - Alshaymaa A Alanazi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, SAU
| | - Omayrah A Alanazi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, SAU
| | - Lama A Alanazi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, SAU
| | - Nouf M Albalawi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, SAU
| | - Fatima S Alharbi
- Family and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, SAU
| | - Dhuha A ALQasir
- Pediatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, SAU
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Mondal H, Soni S, Sahoo MR, Mondal S, Saha K, Maharana B, Priyadarshini B, Behera JK. Perceived leadership quality and empathy among Indian undergraduate medical students. JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND HEALTH PROMOTION 2023; 12:321. [PMID: 38023074 PMCID: PMC10670958 DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1670_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efficient leaders from the medical fraternity may understand healthcare in depth. Empathy is important for patient care, job satisfaction, and the psychological well-being of doctors. Empathic leadership is concerned with an interest in the people around them. This study aimed to observe the perceived leadership quality and empathy among Indian medical undergraduate students, find any correlation between them, and assess age, sex, and semester of study as predictor variables for leadership and empathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS An online cross-sectional survey was conducted on Google Forms with undergraduate medical students in India with a convenient snowball sample. The Abbreviated Self Leadership Quality (ASQL) was used to find the leadership quality and the eight-item Empathy Quotient (EQ-8) to find the empathy. Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated between ASQL and EQ-8 score. Age, sex, and semester were used as predictor variables in regression analysis with leadership and empathy as dependent variables. RESULT A total of 439 (50.8% male, 49.2% female) Indian undergraduate students participated in the study. Males showed higher leadership qualities. There was no gender difference in empathy. Leadership was positively correlated (rs =0.13, P = .006) with empathy in the overall sample. The age (P = .001), sex (P < .0001), and semester of study (P < .0001) successfully predicts leadership (F = 57.167, P < .0001). Although age, sex, and semester combined successfully predict empathy (F = 5.31, P = .001), individually, only a semester of study (P = .009) significantly contributes to the prediction. CONCLUSION Male and female medical students show a similar level of empathy but male shows higher leadership quality. Leadership and empathy are positively correlated; hence, students with higher leadership quality would show higher empathy and vice versa. The age, sex, and semester of study are determinants of leadership whereas semester of study is the determinant of empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himel Mondal
- Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar, Jharkhand, India
| | - Sachin Soni
- Department of Anatomy, AIIMS Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Manas Ranjan Sahoo
- Department of Psychiatry, Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital, Balasore, Odisha, India
| | - Shaikat Mondal
- Department of Physiology, Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India
| | - Koushik Saha
- Department of Anatomy, Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital, West Bengal, India
| | - Biswajit Maharana
- MBBS Student, Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital, Balasore, Odisha, India
| | | | - Joshil Kumar Behera
- Department of Physiology, Dharanidhar Medical College and Hospital, Keonjhar, Odisha, India
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Baig KS, Hayat MK, Khan MAA, Humayun U, Ahmad Z, Khan MA. Empathy Levels in Medical Students: A Single Center Study. Cureus 2023; 15:e38487. [PMID: 37273396 PMCID: PMC10237306 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.38487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives To determine the level of empathy in medical students and to determine the difference in empathy levels between the two genders in a single center. Materials & methods This qualitative study was conducted at a medical college in Peshawar from March 2021 to July 2021. Institutional ethical committee approval was taken (RMI/RMI-REC/Approval/83) before commencing the study. All students admitted into the medical college in the current academic year 2020 to 2021 were included in the study. Any students that did not fill out the questionnaire completely were excluded. The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) was used in this study. The questionnaire was uploaded on google forms for data collection. All the resulting scores were entered into IBM SPSS version 23.0. The mean TEQ score was calculated. Box and whisker plots were made for respective years. An Independent sample t-test was used to determine the association between mean TEQ scores and gender. Results Of 367 students, 347 (94.6%) participated in this study, with a slight female predominance (53%). The mean age of the students was 21.44 (SD = 1.751) years. The participation rate was ≥70% from each class. Most participants across the years have an above-average empathy score (49.9%). Among the participants, the year I (67.6%) showed most participants with high empathy. Year IV (40.6%) has the highest proportion of below-average empathy scores. The mean empathy score of female students was 49.08 (S.D = 7.588), while the empathy score for male students was 44.59 (S.D = 7.58). Conclusion Empathy levels decline as medical education is progressed through the years. Females show a greater sense of empathy than their male counterparts. A slight increase in empathy levels is seen in the final year of medical school after a decline over the initial years.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Umer Humayun
- Anesthesia, Burns and Plastic Surgery Center, Peshawar, PAK
| | - Zunnoor Ahmad
- General Surgery, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, PAK
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Bhatia G, Shetty JV. Trends of Change in Empathy Among Indian Medical Students: A Two-Year Follow-Up Study. Indian J Psychol Med 2023; 45:162-167. [PMID: 36925484 PMCID: PMC10011843 DOI: 10.1177/02537176221104688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The development of an empathic approach is essential for doctor-patient relationships. Medical training is a challenging time that may affect empathy. This study aimed to assess the change in empathy in students during medical education. Methods One hundred and fifty MBBS students were recruited at admission and assessed for empathy, interpersonal reactivity, and general health. They were followed for two years and assessed at three intervals. Results A significant decline was seen in empathy for both male and female students. The decline was correlated with psychological stress. Gender, family structure, having siblings, and increasing General Health Questionnaire score predicted change in empathy. Conclusion Empathy declines with advancing training, varying with constitutional and situational factors. The medical curriculum should include skills like empathic communication as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayatri Bhatia
- Dept. of Psychiatry, All India
Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajkot, Gujarat, India
- Gayatri Bhatia, Dept. of Psychiatry, All
India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rajkot, Gujarat 360010, India. E-mail:
| | - Jyoti V. Shetty
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Bharati
Vidyapeeth Medical College and Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
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Ursoniu S, Serban CL, Giurgi-Oncu C, Rivis IA, Bucur A, Bredicean AC, Papava I. Validation of the Romanian Version of the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) among Undergraduate Medical Students. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182412871. [PMID: 34948481 PMCID: PMC8701033 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182412871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Medical professionals require adequate abilities to identify others’ emotions and express personal emotions. We aimed to determine the validity and reliability of an empathy measuring tool in medical students for this study. We employed Spreng’s Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) as a starting point for this validation. The process was performed in several steps, including an English-Romanian-English translation and a focus group meeting to establish each question’s degree of understandability and usability, with minor improvements of wording in each step. We checked internal and external consistency in a pilot group (n = 67). For construct and convergent validity, we used a sample of 649 students. The overall internal and external reliability performed well, with Cronbach’s alpha = 0.727 and respective ICC = 0.776. The principal component analysis resulted in 3 components: prosocial helping behavior, inappropriate sensitivity, dismissive attitude. Component 1 includes positively worded questions, and components 2 and 3 include negatively worded questions. Women had significantly higher scores than men in convergent validity, but we did not highlight any differences for other demographic factors. The Romanian version of the TEQ is a reliable and valid tool to measure empathy among undergraduate medical students that may be further used in subsequent research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sorin Ursoniu
- Department of Functional Sciences, Discipline of Public Health, Center for Translational Research and Systems Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (S.U.); (C.L.S.)
| | - Costela Lacrimioara Serban
- Department of Functional Sciences, Discipline of Public Health, Center for Translational Research and Systems Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (S.U.); (C.L.S.)
| | - Catalina Giurgi-Oncu
- Department of Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, Center for Cognitive Research in Neuropsychiatric Pathology (NeuroPsy-Cog), “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (C.G.-O.); (A.-C.B.); (I.P.)
| | - Ioana Alexandra Rivis
- Department of Neuroscience, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Adina Bucur
- Department of Functional Sciences, Discipline of Public Health, Center for Translational Research and Systems Medicine, “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (S.U.); (C.L.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +40-723-786442
| | - Ana-Cristina Bredicean
- Department of Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, Center for Cognitive Research in Neuropsychiatric Pathology (NeuroPsy-Cog), “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (C.G.-O.); (A.-C.B.); (I.P.)
- Psychiatry Compartment, “Dr. Victor Popescu” Emergency Military Clinical Hospital, 300080 Timișoara, Romania
| | - Ion Papava
- Department of Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, Center for Cognitive Research in Neuropsychiatric Pathology (NeuroPsy-Cog), “Victor Babeș” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timișoara, Romania; (C.G.-O.); (A.-C.B.); (I.P.)
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Sobczak K, Zdun-Ryżewska A, Rudnik A. Intensity, dynamics and deficiencies of empathy in medical and non-medical students. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2021; 21:487. [PMID: 34507587 PMCID: PMC8429476 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-021-02927-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empathy is an important competence in the professional development of medical students. The purpose of our study was to compare the levels and scales of empathy in people studying in different educational strategies. METHODS The study was conducted between April 2019 and March 2020. Medicine, nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, psychology, pedagogy and sociology students were the participants of this study. University students preparing for medical professions (n = 1001) and students of programs unrelated to medicine (n = 700) underwent the Empathy Quotient test (EQ-40). We have compared results in both study groups with the use of the distribution of density, analysis of variance and student's t-test. RESULTS The average results received by students of the university preparing for medical professions were lower (M = 42.6) than those of the non-medical university students (M = 45.3) and the differences between the universities turned out to be statistically important (t = - 5.15, df = 1699, p < 0.001). As many as 14.6% of the students in the 1st EQ class were preparing for various medical professions while 9% studied social sciences. 18.2% of all medical programme students (n = 412) manifested the lowest empathy class. Our research has revealed that the students with Asperger profile (AP) and high-functioning autism (HFA) studied at universities preparing for medical professions (n = 18) more frequently than at non-medical universities (n = 5). CONCLUSIONS We have noticed a serious indicator of erosion in the levels of empathy in medical students and an increase in the number of people with AP and HFA. Empathy decreases in students after the third year of their studies, regardless of the kind of university. We recommend an introduction of career counselling when specialization is being chosen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Sobczak
- Department of Sociology of Medicine and Social Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk, Tuwima 15 Str., 80-210, Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Agata Zdun-Ryżewska
- Department of Quality of Life Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Agata Rudnik
- Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
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Phelps M, White C, Xiang L, Swanson HI. Improvisation as a Teaching Tool for Improving Oral Communication Skills in Premedical and Pre-Biomedical Graduate Students. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL EDUCATION AND CURRICULAR DEVELOPMENT 2021; 8:23821205211006411. [PMID: 33954254 PMCID: PMC8056562 DOI: 10.1177/23821205211006411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship between training in theatre improvisation and empathy, communication, and other professional skills. METHODS Undergraduate and graduate students who were participants of a 10-week summer undergraduate research program engaged in theatre improvisation techniques during a 3-hour workshop. In Study #1, a de-identified, self-report questionnaire (known as the Empathy Quotient) was administered prior to and following the workshop. Paired sample 2-tailed t-tests were performed to evaluate pre- and post-test scores. To identify additional benefits of engaging in theatre improvisation techniques, Study #2 was performed. Here, a survey was administered to the participants following their completion of the workshop to assess the impact on their personal growth and professional skills. An additional survey was administered at the end of the 10-week program to evaluate all program activities. RESULTS Study #1. Paired t-test analyses indicated that pre-test versus post-test Empathy Quotient scores were not significantly different, implying that participation in the theatre improvisation workshop did not impact empathy. Study #2. Survey results indicate that participation in the theatre improvisation workshop encouraged feelings of support by peers and creative thinking as well as increasing communication skills. CONCLUSION Incorporating a theatre improvisation workshop into educational programs for pre-medical and pre-biomedical students is of value for enhancing self-confidence, oral communication skills and ability to think creatively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Phelps
- Department of Theatre & Dance, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Catrina White
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Lin Xiang
- Department of STEM Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Hollie I Swanson
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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Chaudhuri JD. Stimulating Intrinsic Motivation in Millennial Students: A New Generation, a New Approach. ANATOMICAL SCIENCES EDUCATION 2020; 13:250-271. [PMID: 31021529 DOI: 10.1002/ase.1884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
There has been a fundamental change in health care pedagogy to address the demands and challenges posed by the present generation of millennial students. There is also a growing recognition of the role of intrinsic motivation as a catalyst in a positive learning experience. The term intrinsic motivation refers to energizing behavior that comes from within an individual and develops due to an inherent interest in the activity at hand. However, stimulating intrinsic motivation in the present generation of millennial health care students is a daunting task, considering their diverse and disparate nature. In addition, the inherent generational differences between educators and students, and an increasing emphasis on technological tools have resulted in a dichotomy in the educational environment leading to the development of a greater incidence of burnouts among students. Hence, numerous innovative techniques have been introduced in health care education to enhance the levels of intrinsic motivation in these students. Unfortunately, most of these approaches have only been moderately successful due to their limited ability to address the unique educational expectations of millennial students. The cumulative evidence suggests that specific approaches to stimulate intrinsic motivation should aim at nurturing the learning efforts of students, bridging the generational barriers between educators and students, and ameliorating the stress associated with health care education. Hence, the specific aim of this narrative review is to suggest empirically proven curricular strategies and institutional reforms to enhance intrinsic motivation in health care students belonging to the Millennial Generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joydeep Dutta Chaudhuri
- School of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Husson University, Bangor, Maine
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Haque M, Rahman NAA, McKimm J, Binti Abdullah SL, Islam MZ, Zulkifli Z, Saidin NB, Azhar NIK, Binti Lutfi SNN, Binti Othman NSA. A cross-sectional study evaluating the knowledge and beliefs about, and the use of antibiotics amongst Malaysian university students. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2019; 17:275-284. [DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2019.1581607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mainul Haque
- Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nor Azlina A. Rahman
- Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Malaysia
| | - Judy McKimm
- Swansea University School of Medicine, Grove Building, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Shahidah Leong Binti Abdullah
- Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Zainal Zulkifli
- Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital, Temerloh, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia
| | - Nurfarhana Binti Saidin
- Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nadia Iman Khairul Azhar
- Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Siti Nur Najihah Binti Lutfi
- Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nur Syamirah Aishah Binti Othman
- Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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