Does gender perception influence the acceptance of dating violence myths among health sciences students?

This study aimed to examine the association between gender perception and the acceptance of dating violence myths among health sciences students. This cross-sectional study included 628 students enrolled in the Faculty of Health Sciences at a public university in Türkiye. Data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form, the Gender Perception Scale (GPS), and the Dating Violence Myths Scale (DVMS). Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were performed. The mean total GPS score was 104.38 ± 15.32 and the mean total DVMS score was 18.08 ± 7.42. A moderate negative correlation was observed between GPS and DVMS scores (r = − 0.438, p < 0.001). In regression analysis, higher GPS scores were associated with lower DVMS scores (β = − 0.254, p < 0.001). Male students showed higher DVMS scores than female students (β = 0.315, p < 0.001), and class level was weakly associated with DVMS scores (β = − 0.083, p = 0.026). The model accounted for 25.8% of the variance in DVMS scores (Adjusted R² = 0.258). Gender perception was associated with acceptance of dating violence myths among health sciences students. These findings suggest that educational approaches addressing gender equality and awareness may be relevant for university settings; however, causal inferences cannot be drawn due to the cross-sectional design.