Knowledge and perceptions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among medical students at King Saud University
A cross-sectional study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22066815 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nurah Alamro (0000-0001-9489-3994, King Saud Medical City), Abdullah AlDhuwaihy (King Saud University), Talal Alghadir (King Saud University), Faisal Alshuwaier (King Saud University), Mohammad Alhudaithi (King Saud University), Yazeed B AlSulaim (King Saud University), Abdullah Saud AlOsaimi (King Saud University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Pages | 1745983-1745983 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-11 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1745983 |
| PMID | 41889609 |
| OpenAlex | W7134909053 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 13 |
Background The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a global agenda to promote social, economic, and environmental development by 2030. Medical students, as future healthcare providers, have a critical role in advancing these goals, particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing. This study assessed knowledge and perceptions of SDGs among medical students at King Saud University in the context of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2024 and April 2025, targeting undergraduate medical students across all academic years. Stratified random sampling was employed, and data were collected using a validated online questionnaire that assessed demographics, knowledge, and perception. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression [SPSS version 29.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA)], with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results A total of 425 students participated (55.5% male; median age 21). Good knowledge of the SDGs was demonstrated by 54.6% of participants, while 64.9% showed positive perceptions. Knowledge levels improved with advancing academic year. Female students showed significantly more favorable perceptions of the SDGs. While younger students ( ≤ 21 years) initially appeared more favorable in unadjusted analysis, this association was not independently significant after adjustment. Conclusions While overall awareness of the SDGs among medical students was acceptable, gaps in detailed knowledge remain. Early and structured integration of SDG-related content into the medical curriculum is recommended to foster deeper understanding and engagement, thereby preparing future physicians to contribute more effectively to sustainable development efforts
Curriculum · Descriptive statistics · Health care · Logistic regression · Perception · Stratified sampling · Sustainable development · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Innovations in Medical Education · Sustainability in Higher Education
| Highly cited | No |
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