EXPLORING AND COMPARING THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICE OF 2ND YEAR MBBS STUDENTS REGARDING PESTICIDES, FOOD ADULTERANTS, POLLUTANTS, AND INSECT REPELLENTS IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Exposure to pesticides, food adulterants, environmental pollutants, and insect repellents represents a significant public health concern, particularly in developing countries. As future healthcare providers, medical students must be well-informed about these hazards to promote safe practices and community awareness. This study aimed to assess and compare the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of second-year MBBS students before and after an educational intervention at a tertiary care teaching hospital. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 students at GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, using a pre-test and post-test design. A total of 85 students participated in the pre-test and 81 in the post-test. The structured questionnaire included 14 items evaluating KAP domains, and responses were analyzed using percentage comparisons. Following the intervention, there was a marked improvement in knowledge across multiple areas, including pesticide mechanisms (18.52% to 74.07%), adulterants in pulses (32.10% to 76.54%), mosquito-repellent components (41.98% to 92.59%), and lathyrism awareness (50.62% to 93.83%). Awareness of environmental pollutants also increased significantly (83.95% to 96.30%). Attitudes toward spreading awareness were already high and showed slight improvement. Overall, the findings demonstrate that structured educational interventions effectively enhance knowledge, attitude, and practices among medical students, thereby strengthening their role in public health education and advocacy.