Perception and practices regarding electronic waste amongst undergraduate medical students: A cross-sectional study in a medical college in Kolkata

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Abstract Background: With rapid increase in electronic waste (e-waste) burden in countries like India, it is essential that undergraduate medical students should possess adequate knowledge on the hazards of e-waste and its disposal as future physicians. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 384 undergraduate medical students at a medical college. Data were collected using a pre-tested, structured, self-administered questionnaire distributed through Google Forms. Bivariate analyses were performed to determine the association between sociodemographic variables and adequacy of knowledge. Results: Their mean age was 21.2 ± 1.6 years. About 92% of them heard of e-waste. About 82.4% mentioned computers, followed by mobile phones (47.7%) as the major sources of e-waste. Genetic damage as a health hazard was reported by 43.2%. Regarding e-waste management, 94.3% of students mentioned ‘recycling’, followed by ‘reuse’ (81%). Approximately 22% of the students discarded old electronic devices along with general waste. Adequate knowledge s regarding sources was among male than female students (69.3% Vs 37.8%) (P = <0.001); more amongst 1st and 2nd professional MBBS students (67.9% and 62.8%, respectively) in comparison to 3rd professional Part I and Part II MBBS students (38.9% and 50.6%, respectively) (P < 0.001). Students of urban origin possessed more adequate knowledge (60%) on e-waste processing than their rural counterparts (42%) (P = 0.002). Conclusions: Significant associations were found between adequate knowledge on sources of e-waste and male gender, lower academic year of study and urban permanent residence. Continuous medical education, inclusion of e-waste hazards in the school curriculum and establishment of e-waste collection facilities near people’s residences are the needs of the hour.