ArticleCureus2026
Awareness of Opioid-Related Adverse Effects and Opioid-Sparing Preferences Among Medical Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background Opioid-related adverse effects and inappropriate opioid prescribing remain major contributors to preventable morbidity. Medical education plays a crucial role in shaping early prescribing behaviours, particularly among future healthcare professionals. However, data on opioid-related awareness and opioid-sparing preferences among medical students and interns in Middle Eastern settings remains limited. Objectives This study aims to evaluate the level of awareness of opioid-related adverse effects and attitudes toward opioid‑sparing strategies among medical students and interns in Jordan. A secondary objective was to examine which aspects of medical training were associated with higher knowledge levels. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study among medical students and interns (n = 250) in Jordan. Data were collected between September 2025 and November 2025 using an anonymous, self-administered online survey distributed via social media platforms and university email lists. A convenience sampling approach was used, supplemented by snowball sampling through medical student networks. The survey assessed demographic characteristics, prior pain management education, knowledge of opioid-related adverse effects, and attitudes toward opioid-sparing strategies. Knowledge was measured using four multiple-choice items and summarized as a total knowledge score (0-4). High knowledge was defined a priori as a score of ≥75% correct responses (3 or 4 out of 4). Attitudes were assessed using Likert-scale items (range 4-20). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and associations between participant characteristics and high knowledge level were examined using chi-square tests. Results The mean knowledge score was 2.68 ± 0.90, with 19.2% of participants classified as having high knowledge. Correct response rates across individual knowledge items ranged from 58.0% to 74.0%. The mean attitude score toward opioid-sparing approaches was 14.98 ± 1.94, indicating generally favourable attitudes. No significant associations were observed between high knowledge level and training stage (χ²(2) = 0.263, p = 0.877), completion of surgical rotation (χ²(1) = 1.549, p = 0.213), or prior pain education (χ²(2) = 1.079, p = 0.583). Conclusion Medical students and interns demonstrated moderate knowledge of opioid-related adverse effects alongside generally positive attitudes toward opioid-sparing strategies. However, higher knowledge was not associated with the training stage or prior educational or clinical exposure. These findings suggest a potential need for more structured and clinically integrated opioid education early within undergraduate medical curricula.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.