Abstract

Understanding medical law and ethics is essential for dental students, providing a legal framework for patient rights and healthcare quality. This study aims to identify key factors influencing dental students’ knowledge of medical law and ethics. A cross-sectional design was used, involving 284 pre-clinical and clinical students from Universitas Islam Sultan Agung Semarang. The study examined age, education, information, sociocultural background, environment, occupation, and experience, using a validated knowledge questionnaire. Data were analyzed through multiple linear regression. The results revealed that information and socio-cultural background significantly influenced knowledge (p < 0.05), while age, education, occupation, environment, and experience did not (p > 0.05). The regression equation was Y’ = -0.103 + 0.048 X1 + 0.018 X2 + 0.027 X3 + 0.329 X4 + 0.269 X5 + 0.184 X6 + 0.137 X7. The F-test showed all variables collectively influenced knowledge significantly (p < 0.05). The R Square value of 0.794 indicates that 79.4% of the variation in students’ knowledge is explained by the tested factors, with the remaining 21.6% influenced by unexamined variables. This study highlights the importance of information and socio-cultural factors in shaping dental students’ understanding of medical law and ethics.