Communication apprehension and level of anxiety in the medical students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences
نویسندگان
1 Department of English, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
2 Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
3 Deparment of Anesthesiology, Molecular Medicine Research Center, Paramedical Sciences Faculty, Faculty of Medicine, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
4
doi
چکیده
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 atRafsanjan University of Medical Sciences (RUMS).MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross‑sectional study, personal report of CA (PRCA‑24) wasadministered to 340 medical and paramedical students to measure anxiety in four domains of largegroups, small groups, public speaking, and dyadic interaction. Pearson’s correlation and linearregression analysis were used to investigate the relationship between CA and the variables of birthorder, number of siblings, and university entrance score. Data were analyzed using descriptive andinferential statistics (Chi‑square and Kruskal–Wallis Test).RESULTS: CA in the dimension of public speaking was higher than the other dimensions. Evaluationof the economic stability and its relationship to CA indicated a significant difference among all thedomains of the PRCA‑24. There was a significant relationship between the scores of CA and thenumber of siblings (P = 0.001). Linear regression and Pearson’s correlation tests indicated a significantcorrelation 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, andmeeting was weak but significant (P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: Without communication, the materialization and development of the humancommunity are not possible. This aspect is more evident and crucial in the healthcare industry. Basedon the results of this study, the medical and paramedical students at RUMS have a medium‑to‑highlevel of CA. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to detect students with high CA to prevent furthercommunication problems after graduation.
