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The Anatomical Knowledge of Namibian School Children

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Title: The Anatomical Knowledge of Namibian School Children
Language: English
Authors: Adam M. Taylor (ORCID 0000-0002-4084-0456), Lojandrie Kirsten (ORCID 0009-0000-7753-3903), Luigi Sedda (ORCID 0000-0002-9271-6596), Quenton Wessels (ORCID 0000-0001-8539-5459)
Source: Anatomical Sciences Education. 2026 19(3):466-478.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Secondary Education
Grade 4
Intermediate Grades
Grade 5
Middle Schools
Grade 6
Grade 7
Junior High Schools
Grade 8
Grade 9
High Schools
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Anatomy, Knowledge Level, Elementary School Students, Secondary School Students, Preadolescents, Adolescents, Age Differences, Human Body, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12
Geographic Terms: Namibia
DOI: 10.1002/ase.70164
ISSN: 1935-9772
1935-9780
Abstract: The public has limited knowledge of key organs and anatomical structures. The lack of anatomical knowledge and understanding can hinder time to access healthcare, quality of care, and treatment outcomes. The current study investigated the anatomical knowledge among Namibian children by comparing 8 school grades--4 to 12, which covers children from the ages of 9 to 18 years old, with a total of 481 participants from 5 schools located across various areas of Namibia. All structures showed an increase in the correct responses with an increase of age except for the stomach. Structures within the abdomen were most poorly answered, with the spleen (8.8%), adrenals (9.8%), gallbladder (11.9%), and pancreas (12.1%). Structures were then grouped into functional systems and a multiple logistic regression model was used to ascertain knowledge level compared with grade 4 (the earliest year of education) and girls as reference. Knowledge improved significantly across multiple increasing school grades. Students demonstrated the best increase in performance in muscular, endocrine, respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems, respectively--with 2 schools outperforming the rest. Analysis of the percentage of structures correctly located by boys and girls showed that girls outscored boys on average, in 15 of the structures. This is the first study to look specifically at the anatomical knowledge of children in both a primary and secondary educational setting, and the first that considers learners in Africa. The study provides evidence into the need for improved health education and promotion and its benefits in school children and their anatomical knowledge.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1499989
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
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IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
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  Data: The Anatomical Knowledge of Namibian School Children
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  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Adam+M%2E+Taylor%22">Adam M. Taylor</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4084-0456">0000-0002-4084-0456</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lojandrie+Kirsten%22">Lojandrie Kirsten</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7753-3903">0009-0000-7753-3903</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Luigi+Sedda%22">Luigi Sedda</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9271-6596">0000-0002-9271-6596</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Quenton+Wessels%22">Quenton Wessels</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8539-5459">0000-0001-8539-5459</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Anatomical+Sciences+Education%22"><i>Anatomical Sciences Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 19(3):466-478.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
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  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 13
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+4%22">Grade 4</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Intermediate+Grades%22">Intermediate Grades</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Junior+High+Schools%22">Junior High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+8%22">Grade 8</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+9%22">Grade 9</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22High+Schools%22">High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+10%22">Grade 10</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+11%22">Grade 11</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+12%22">Grade 12</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Anatomy%22">Anatomy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Knowledge+Level%22">Knowledge Level</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Students%22">Secondary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preadolescents%22">Preadolescents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adolescents%22">Adolescents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+Differences%22">Age Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Human+Body%22">Human Body</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+4%22">Grade 4</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+6%22">Grade 6</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+8%22">Grade 8</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+9%22">Grade 9</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+10%22">Grade 10</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+11%22">Grade 11</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+12%22">Grade 12</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Namibia%22">Namibia</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1002/ase.70164
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1935-9772<br />1935-9780
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The public has limited knowledge of key organs and anatomical structures. The lack of anatomical knowledge and understanding can hinder time to access healthcare, quality of care, and treatment outcomes. The current study investigated the anatomical knowledge among Namibian children by comparing 8 school grades--4 to 12, which covers children from the ages of 9 to 18 years old, with a total of 481 participants from 5 schools located across various areas of Namibia. All structures showed an increase in the correct responses with an increase of age except for the stomach. Structures within the abdomen were most poorly answered, with the spleen (8.8%), adrenals (9.8%), gallbladder (11.9%), and pancreas (12.1%). Structures were then grouped into functional systems and a multiple logistic regression model was used to ascertain knowledge level compared with grade 4 (the earliest year of education) and girls as reference. Knowledge improved significantly across multiple increasing school grades. Students demonstrated the best increase in performance in muscular, endocrine, respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems, respectively--with 2 schools outperforming the rest. Analysis of the percentage of structures correctly located by boys and girls showed that girls outscored boys on average, in 15 of the structures. This is the first study to look specifically at the anatomical knowledge of children in both a primary and secondary educational setting, and the first that considers learners in Africa. The study provides evidence into the need for improved health education and promotion and its benefits in school children and their anatomical knowledge.
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  Label: Abstractor
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  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
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  Data: 2026
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  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1499989
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1499989
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        Value: 10.1002/ase.70164
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 466
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Anatomy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Knowledge Level
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preadolescents
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      – SubjectFull: Adolescents
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      – SubjectFull: Age Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Human Body
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 6
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 7
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 9
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 10
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 11
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 12
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      – SubjectFull: Namibia
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              Y: 2026
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