Communication apprehension and level of anxiety in the medical students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Communication apprehension (CA) is the fear or anxiety about communicating. This study was designed to investigate the CA and its related factors in the medical students at Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences (RUMS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, personal report of CA (PRCA-24) was administered to 340 medical and paramedical students to measure anxiety in four domains of large groups, small groups, public speaking, and dyadic interaction. Pearson's correlation and linear regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship between CA and the variables of birth order, number of siblings, and university entrance score. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square and Kruskal–Wallis Test). RESULTS: CA in the dimension of public speaking was higher than the other dimensions. Evaluation of the economic stability and its relationship to CA indicated a significant difference among all the domains of the PRCA-24. There was a significant relationship between the scores of CA and the number of siblings ( P = 0.001). Linear regression and Pearson's correlation tests indicated a significant correlation between the variables of birth order, number of siblings, and university entrance score. The correlation between the CA with dimensions of group discussion, interpersonal, speaking, and meeting was weak but significant ( P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Without communication, the materialization and development of the human community are not possible. This aspect is more evident and crucial in the healthcare industry. Based on the results of this study, the medical and paramedical students at RUMS have a medium-to-high level of CA. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to detect students with high CA to prevent further communication problems after graduation.

The effect of peer mentoring on motivation and self-regulated learning in medical students during transition

“…Furthermore, the existence of a correlation between exam stress and being supervised by mentors as the most significant subscale among all the motivational beliefs subscales demonstrates that the students with more exam anxiety may seek mentors more than those with less exam anxiety as one of the central roles of mentors is helping mentees to cope with stress. [ 27 28 ]…”

Attitudes toward Patient-Centred Care, Empathy, and Assertiveness among Students in Rehabilitation Areas: A Longitudinal Study

“…Further studies are needed to identify if there is any particularity in young people who apply for healthcare profession programmes that may increase anxiety in social contexts. Earlier contributions from cross-sectional studies also found moderate scores in communication apprehension in health students attending nursing [68,69], radiology [69], and pharmacy [68] programmes.…”

Exploring communication apprehension in nursing and healthcare education: A scoping review

“…Individual factors : Gender was found to be positively associated with CA in 6 out of 9 studies that analyzed gender and CA, with female students reporting higher CA than male students in several studies (Anacleto de Araújo et al, 2022; A. M. Kerr & Thompson, 2022; Lang et al, 1998; McCroskey et al, 1983;O'Donnell, 1998; Pierce, 2016). Three out of 9 studies found no significant differences in CA based on gender (Hashemi et al, 2020; LaRochelle & Karpinski, 2016; Rogers & King, 2012). Age was found to be associated with CA in some studies, with younger students reporting higher levels of CA in two studies (O'Donnell, 1998; Pierce, 2016), but no significant association was found in another study (LaRochelle & Karpinski, 2016).…”

“…Not all studies reported age demographics. Two studies found a negative association between lower socioeconomic status and CA, with students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds reporting lower CA than their peers from higher socioeconomic backgrounds (Hashemi et al, 2020; Lang et al, 1998). In terms of race/ethnicity, Asian pharmacy students were found to have higher levels of CA than their Caucasian and black/African American peers (LaRochelle & Karpinski, 2016; McCroskey et al, 1983), while no significant association was found between races in nursing students (Pierce, 2016).…”