ArticleBMC public health2025
Healthcare-seeking behaviors and barriers among medical students in Egypt: a national cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Factors Associated with Delayed Diagnosis of Iron Deficiency Anemia in Egyptian Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Healthcare utilization, preventive care, and structural barriers among medical students at a three-campus U.S. medical school.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Exploring the pathways between personality traits, alexithymia, and resilience among medical students and interns: a cross-sectional study in Egypt.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Health-seeking behavior among the community in Hosanna Township, Hadiya Zone, Central Ethiopia Regional State: A community-based cross-sectional study.Journal of health psychology · 2026Article
- Self-compassion and burnout among medical students in Egypt: indirect effects through perceived stress.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Stratified patterns of healthcare-seeking behavior among older adults in Fujian, China: exploring the behavioral foundations of health inequality.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Prevalence and psychological correlates of borderline personality traits among medical students in Egypt: a multicenter cross-sectional study.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMedical students are particularly vulnerable to acquiring various health conditions due to the nature of their education but often hesitate to consult doctors and resort to self-managing their illnesses. This study aims to examine the healthcare-seeking behaviors and barriers among medical students in Egypt.
methodsThis cross-sectional study involved a convenience sample of 1,535 medical students from 12 public universities across Egypt. Data on healthcare-seeking behaviors, barriers, and associated factors were collected using an online survey distributed through official university channels and social media platforms. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with consulting a doctor when experiencing health problems.
resultsOnly 52.2% of participants reported consulting doctors when ill. Participants from rural backgrounds (COR = 0.69, CI: 0.51-0.93), those facing barriers to healthcare (COR = 0.80, CI: 0.66-0.98), with less than sufficient income (COR = 0.61, CI: 0.46-0.81), or a non-working mother (AOR = 0.76, CI: 0.58-0.99) were less likely to consult a doctor. In contrast, participants with more than sufficient income (COR = 1.35, CI: 1.02-1.78), a parent in healthcare (AOR = 13.18-17.31, CI: 6.87-36.35), or who exercised regularly (AOR = 1.48, CI: 1.09-2.01) were more likely to consult a doctor. A substantial proportion of students reported relying on past experiences with the illness (54.1%), using the Internet (46.8%), and self-diagnosing (36.2%). The most common reported barriers to seeking healthcare were lack of time (29.2%), long wait times (22.7%), and academic concerns (12%). A history of feeling uncomfortable or discriminated against when seeking healthcare was reported by 19.5% of participants.
conclusionMany medical students in Egypt engage in self-diagnosis and self-management rather than consulting doctors when ill. Addressing healthcare barriers is crucial for encouraging appropriate care-seeking behaviors within this population.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.