Perceptions of Undergraduate Community Medicine Students on the Digital Community Health Advocacy Model Program...

Background Digital community health advocacy has become an essential component of contemporary public health. However, structured training in digital advocacy remains limited in undergraduate medical education. The Digital Community Health Advocacy Model/Program (D-CHAMP) was conceptualized as a curriculum innovation to strengthen digital advocacy competencies among undergraduate community medicine students. This study aimed to assess students' awareness, attitudes, self-efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers, and implementation outcomes related to D-CHAMP. Methodology A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted from September to December 2025 among undergraduate medical students at North DMC Medical College, Delhi. Using universal sampling, 104 students who had completed their community medicine postings participated. Data were collected through a structured, pre-tested, self-administered online questionnaire assessing awareness, attitudes, self-efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers, and implementation outcomes (acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness). Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation were used for analysis, with p-values <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results Overall, 92.3% of the students correctly understood the concept of digital health advocacy. Overall attitudes were positive (mean composite score = 3.67 ± 1.06), with strong support for formal training. Self-efficacy was moderate (mean = 3.30 ± 0.76), indicating the need for skill development. Acceptability (mean = 3.62 ± 0.86), appropriateness (mean = 3.60 ± 0.85), and feasibility (mean = 3.46 ± 0.80) scores demonstrated favorable perceptions of D-CHAMP. Major perceived benefits included wide reach (76%), increased youth engagement (69%), and cost-effectiveness (65%). Key barriers included a lack of digital skills, low community digital literacy, and limited institutional support. Self-efficacy showed strong positive correlations with acceptability (r = 0.663), feasibility (r = 0.556), and appropriateness (r = 0.630; p < 0.001). Conclusions Undergraduate medical students demonstrated positive perceptions and readiness to engage in digital community health advocacy. D-CHAMP was perceived as acceptable, feasible, and relevant for integration into undergraduate community medicine curricula. Strengthening digital competencies and addressing skill and institutional barriers can facilitate effective implementation, preparing future physicians for public health advocacy in a digital era.