Water awareness and bioethical perspectives among medical students at Mersin University Faculty of Medicine: an analytical cross-sectional study comparing academic-stage groups.

Background: The escalating environmental crisis underscores water as a vital bioethical responsibility and public health determinant. Accordingly, water consumption, sustainability, and related ethical responsibilities are relevant topics in medical education. Objective: This study aimed to compare water-consumption behaviours, awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward water use and water-related ethics between Year 3 and Year 6 medical students. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Türkiye, and compared two independent cohorts of medical students (Year 3 and Year 6) to evaluate their knowledge and attitudes toward water consumption from a bioethical perspective. The findings therefore represent cross-sectional associations between academic stage and the measured outcomes in two independent cohorts. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire incorporating the Water Consumption Behaviour Scale. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and independent-samples t-tests were used for the analyses. Results: A total of 246 medical students participated in the study. Correct-response rates were higher among Year 6 students than Year 3 students for recommended daily water intake (26.3% vs. 7.4%, Conclusion: Academic stage was associated with distinct patterns of water-related knowledge and scale scores. Year 6 students had higher correct-response rates for two knowledge items, whereas Year 3 students had a higher total Water Consumption Behaviour Scale score. These findings represent cross-sectional associations between academic stage and the measured outcomes in two independent cohorts. The observed patterns identify water ethics, planetary health, and sustainability as relevant topics for medical curricula.