Knowledge, Attitude, and Behaviour Regarding Moles among Health-Sciences and Non-Health Undergraduate Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37287/ijghr.v9i1.2904Keywords:
health knowledge, melanoma, naevus, skin self-examination, studentsAbstract
Melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer, and Asian patients are often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Because many melanomas arise in or near existing moles, recognising mole changes is essential for early detection, yet naevus-specific evidence among Indonesian young adults is lacking. To assess mole-related knowledge, attitude, and behaviour among undergraduate students, compare health-sciences and non-health students, and examine the association of knowledge with attitude and behaviour. An analytical cross-sectional online survey was conducted at Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia, in December 2025 using convenience sampling. A 30-item questionnaire (content validity reviewed by a dermatovenereologist; pilot test in 30 students: item–total r = 0.410–0.845, Cronbach’s α = 0.688–0.861), with negatively worded items reverse-scored, was analysed for 183 eligible students (92 health-sciences and 91 non-health; mean age 20.3 ± 1.9 years) using the χ² test, Mann–Whitney U test, and multivariable logistic regression adjusted for faculty cluster, age, and sex. Good knowledge, attitude, and behaviour were found in 60.1%, 49.7%, and 26.2% of students, respectively. Health-sciences students scored higher in all domains (p < 0.001). The behaviour gap was confined to mole-specific surveillance, such as skin self-examination (53.3% vs 16.5%). Good knowledge was independently associated with a good attitude (adjusted OR 3.62; 95% CI 1.12–11.68), but its association with good behaviour was imprecise (adjusted OR 4.02; 95% CI 0.98–16.43). Knowledge appears necessary but insufficient for protective behaviour. Campus programmes for non-health students should combine education on melanoma warning signs with practical training in skin self-examination.
References
Afiouni, R., Helou, J., & Bou Orm, I. (2024). Knowledge of the risks of ultraviolet radiation, sun exposure attitudes and practices among Lebanese university students. Preventive Medicine Reports, 47, Article 102900. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2024.102900
Andrade, C. (2021). The inconvenient truth about convenience and purposive samples. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 43(1), 86–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/0253717620977000
Arikunto, S. (2013). Prosedur penelitian: Suatu pendekatan praktik. Rineka Cipta.
Arnold, M., Singh, D., Laversanne, M., Vignat, J., Vaccarella, S., Meheus, F., Cust, A. E., de Vries, E., Whiteman, D. C., & Bray, F. (2022). Global burden of cutaneous melanoma in 2020 and projections to 2040. JAMA Dermatology, 158(5), 495–503. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2022.0160
Bosch-Amate, X., Podlipnik, S., Riquelme-Mc Loughlin, C., Carrera, C., Barreiro-Capurro, A., García-Herrera, A., Alós, L., Malvehy, J., & Puig, S. (2021). Clinicopathological, genetic and survival advantages of naevus-associated melanomas: A cohort study. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 101(3), Article adv00425. https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-3780
Bray, F., Laversanne, M., Sung, H., Ferlay, J., Siegel, R. L., Soerjomataram, I., & Jemal, A. (2024). Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 74(3), 229–263. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21834
Bujang, M. A., Omar, E. D., Foo, D. H. P., & Hon, Y. K. (2024). Sample size determination for conducting a pilot study to assess reliability of a questionnaire. Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics, 49(1), Article e3. https://doi.org/10.5395/rde.2024.49.e3
Chavez, M., Carreño, P., Forti, F., & Romani, F. (2025). Comparison of photoprotection knowledge, attitudes, and practices among medical and non-medical students at a Peruvian university. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene, 66(3), E306. https://doi.org/10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2025.66.3.3543
Egbuchulem, K. I. (2024). The Karl Pearson’s chi-square: A medical research libero, and a versatile test statistic: An editorial. Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine, 22(2), 5–8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11848378/
von Elm, E., Altman, D. G., Egger, M., Pocock, S. J., Gøtzsche, P. C., & Vandenbroucke, J. P. (2007). The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: Guidelines for reporting observational studies. The Lancet, 370(9596), 1453–1457. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61602-X
Fiel Peres, F. (2026). Effect sizes for nonparametric tests. Biochemia Medica, 36(1), Article 010101. https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2026.010101
Figueiredo, R. G., Patino, C. M., & Ferreira, J. C. (2025). Cross-sectional studies: Understanding applications, methodological issues, and valuable insights. Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia, 51, Article e20250047. https://doi.org/10.36416/1806-3756/e20250047
Ghaffari, M., Rakhshanderou, S., Asadpour, M., Nasirzadeh, M., & Mazar, L. (2021). Design, implementation, and evaluation of a PRECEDE-PROCEED model-based intervention for oral and dental health among primary school students of Rafsanjan city: A mixed method study. BMC Public Health, 21, Article 1609. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11585-z
Leachman, S. A., Latour, E., Detweiler-Bedell, B., Detweiler-Bedell, J. B., Zell, A., Wenzel, E., Stoos, E., Nelson, J. H., Wiedrick, J., Berry, E. G., Lange, J., Etzioni, R., & Lapidus, J. A. (2023). Melanoma literacy among the general population of three western US states. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research, 36(6), 481–500. https://doi.org/10.1111/pcmr.13106
Long, G. V., Swetter, S. M., Menzies, A. M., Gershenwald, J. E., & Scolyer, R. A. (2023). Cutaneous melanoma. The Lancet, 402(10400), 485–502. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00821-8
Mousavi, S. Z., Fathollahzadeh, F., Mahmoodi-Bakhtiari, B., Nazari, A., Mahmoudian, S., Asgari, A., Ansari, N. N., & Borna, A. (2025). A practical guide for designing and conducting knowledge, attitude, and practice studies focusing on audio-speech field. Journal of Iranian Medical Council, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.18502/jimc.v9i1.20500
Nadelmann, E. R., Singh, A. K., Abbruzzese, M., Adeuyan, O. O., Kenchappa, D. B., Kovrizhkin, K., Lightman, M., Samouha, A., Tao, K. L., Yun, J., Zhu, T. R., McLellan, B. N., & Saenger, Y. M. (2025). Acral melanoma in skin of color: Current insights and future directions: A narrative review. Cancers, 17(3), Article 468. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17030468
Pratama, A. Y., Lukitto, P., & Damayanti, L. (2021). Description and histopathology type of pigmentosus nevus in Dustira Hospital and Cibabat Hospital Cimahi. In Proceedings of the 12th Annual Scientific Meeting, Medical Faculty, Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani (ASMC 2021) (Advances in Health Sciences Research, Vol. 37, pp. 193–196). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/ahsr.k.210723.046
Riyanto, P., Safarina, D. D., Wijdani, D. H., & Cindy. (2025). Tingkat pengetahuan, sikap, dan perilaku warga Kecamatan Ngaliyan mengenai nevus pigmentosus. Jurnal Riset Rumpun Ilmu Kedokteran, 4(1), 115–126. https://doi.org/10.55606/jurrike.v4i1.4490
Roren, R. S., Christopher, P. M., & Jayadi, N. N. (2022). Photoprotection knowledge and photoprotective behavior of university students: A cross-sectional study in Indonesia. International Journal of Dermatology and Venereology, 5(3), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1097/JD9.0000000000000245
Santoso, A. (2023). Rumus Slovin: Panacea masalah ukuran sampel? Suksma: Jurnal Psikologi Universitas Sanata Dharma, 4(2), 24–43. https://doi.org/10.24071/suksma.v4i2.6434
Savitz, D. A., & Wellenius, G. A. (2023). Can cross-sectional studies contribute to causal inference? It depends. American Journal of Epidemiology, 192(4), 514–516. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwac037
Shahzad, A., Mashhadi, S. F., Khan, U., Shafqat, N., Ali, A., Ghazanfar, H., Noor, H., & Amir, H. (2022). Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practices related to sun exposure among university students of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal, 72(Suppl. 4), S805–S810. https://doi.org/10.51253/pafmj.v72iSUPPL-4.9661
Taber, K. S. (2018). The use of Cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48(6), 1273–1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Indonesian Journal of Global Health Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
