Social Media Use, Professionalism, and Professional Identity Among Medical Students and Early-Career Health Care Graduates in Sudan: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Vollständiger Abstract

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Abstract Background Social media has become deeply embedded in medical training, yet its influence on professionalism and the developing professional identity of medical students and early-career doctors remains insufficiently understood, particularly in non-Western contexts. Objective This study aimed to assess social media usage patterns, attitudes toward digital professionalism, related behaviors and experiences, and perceived benefits and risks among medical students and early-career health care graduates in Sudan, and to identify demographic and behavioral factors associated with key online behaviors and outcomes. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from June 2025 to August 2025 among 432 medical students, interns, early graduates, and residents in Sudan, recruited through convenience sampling. A structured, self-administered questionnaire developed specifically for this study assessed social media usage patterns, attitudes toward digital professionalism, related behaviors and experiences, and perceived benefits and risks. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression were performed using R software (version 4.4.2; R Foundation for Statistical Computing). Results Of the 432 participants, 226 (52.3%) were female participants, and 343 (79.4%) spent at least 3 hours daily on social media. Attitudes toward digital professionalism were generally positive: 225 (52.1%) participants agreed or strongly agreed that their online presence reflects their professional identity, and 390 (90.3%) considered maintaining a professional image is important. Nearly half of the participants (n=199, 46.1%) had modified or removed posts for professional reasons. The most reported benefits were access to updated medical knowledge (n=321, 74.3%) and career development (n=260, 60.2%), while common concerns involved misinformation (n=287, 66.4%), negative public perception (n=199, 46.1%), and confidentiality breaches (n=198, 45.8%). Female participants were more likely to report heavy daily use of 5 hours or more (109/226, 48.2% vs 70/206, 33.9%; P =.004). In multivariable analysis, male sex (odds ratio 2.12, 95% CI 1.36‐3.33; P