ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION AND ACADEMIC STRESS AMONG PHARMACY STUDENTS IN SELANGOR, MALAYSIA
Author(s)
Ahmad S, Hassan Bashri NI, Chow CQ, Wong YZ
MAHSA University, Bandar Saujana Putra, Malaysia
OBJECTIVES: As the pharmacist-wannabes, the undergraduate pharmacy students require to communicate effectively with patients, and the members of the healthcare team in their upcoming professional life. The objectives of this study were to determine the levels of communication apprehension (CA) and academic stress (AS) and correlation between CA and AS among the undergraduate pharmacy students. METHODS: A cross-sectional, electronic questionnaire based study was conducted among pharmacy undergraduate students (n= 156) from six private universities in Selangor, Malaysia. The questionnaire consisted of three main sections: namely, socio-demographic data (7 items), personal report of communication apprehension (PRCA: a total 24 items focusing public speaking, dyadic interaction, small groups, and large groups), and academic stress (20 items). The data were extracted from the completed questionnaires and analyzed descriptively (numbers, and percentages) and inferentially (Cronbach’s α value, Spearman’s correlation coefficient) by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23. RESULTS: Majority of the enrolled students were female (n=126, 80.8%) and Chinese (n=68, 43.6%). The finalized questionnaire was proved to a reliable instrument (Cronbach’s α = 0.61). The overall mean scores (± SD) of CA (59.5, ± 4.14) and AS (55.42, ± 11.01) from the completed questionnaires suggest that the enrolled students possessed the moderate levels of CA and AS. Moreover, the findings of Spearman’s correlation coefficient suggests that CA had a significantly positive weak correlation with AS score (r = 0.232, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The overall moderate scores of CA and AS experienced by the enrolled students warrant continuous education focusing on improving communication skills and overcoming stress. Such initiatives may be helpful to enhance the students’ performance in their academic as well as upcoming professional life.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2018-09, ISPOR Asia Pacific 2018, Tokyo, Japan
Value in Health, Vol. 21, S2 (September 2018)
Code
PMH33
Topic
Health Policy & Regulatory
Topic Subcategory
Health Disparities & Equity
Disease
Mental Health