Family medicine residents’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors towards testicular examination and undescended testicles in infants

Introduction: Undescended testis (UT) is characterized by the absence of one or both testicles in the scrotum and is the most common genitourinary system anomaly in infants. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of family medicine (FM) residents about UT and testicular examination (TE) in infants between 0-12 months. Methods: This study was designed with a cross-sectional design. 243 individuals who were available online between April 13 and June 15, 2023 and agreed to participate in the study, who were continuing to receive specialty training in the Family Medicine Clinics of various hospitals in Istanbul, were included. An online data collection form consisting of 3 parts: The Descriptive Information Form, the Undescended Testis Knowledge Questionnaire (UTKQ), and the Attitude and Behavior Questionnaire on Testicular Examination in Infants (ABQTEI) were sent to the participants. The knowledge levels of the participants were classified as "low", "medium" and "high" according to the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile values of the scores obtained from UTKQ. The data obtained were analyzed with SPSS 25.0 for Windows (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL). The data were described in terms of numbers, percentages, and averages. The Independent Samples T test and Anova test were used in the comparisons made between the demographic data and the questionnaire scores. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 243 participants with an average age of 33.83±6.57 years were included in the study. While 45.7% (n=111) of the participants were full-time FM residents, 54.3% (n=132) were contracted FM residents. 73.3% (n=178) had not yet received TE training during their residency. While the average UTKQ total score was 5.20±1.55, the average ABQTEI total score was 19.12±3.37. According to UTKQ, the knowledge level of 41.6% of the participants (n=101) was high, 25.1% (n=61) was medium and 33.3% (n=81) was low. UTKQ score was higher in those aged 31-40 and those who received education at a university hospital (p=0.028; p=0.041, respectively). There was a weak correlation between age and professional experience and ABQTEI scores (r=0.296 p<0.001; r=0.290 p<0.001, respectively). ABQTEI score was also statistically significantly higher in contracted FM residents, those who received TE training, and those who had sons (p<0.001; p=0.023; p=0.003, respectively). Conclusion: According to this study, the largest group of FM residents was in the high knowledge category about UT in infants. As the level of knowledge increased, attitudes and behaviors towards TE were positively affected. Since they will be in close contact with infants within the scope of primary healthcare services, it should be ensured that they receive theoretical and practical training that will further increase their level of knowledge about UT. Thus, it is thought that it can contribute to the early diagnosis and appropriate management of UT.