Azadeh Horri; Sara Amanpour; Farzaneh Jalali; Mahshad Masoumi; Sorena Fardisi
Abstract
Background: Different study skills have been developed and introduced, although most learners are apparently unaware of them.Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the frequency of using different study skills among undergraduate and postgraduate students.Method: The study population consisted ...
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Background: Different study skills have been developed and introduced, although most learners are apparently unaware of them.Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the frequency of using different study skills among undergraduate and postgraduate students.Method: The study population consisted of 201 undergraduate and 45 postgraduate students of Kerman Dental School in 2016-2017, who were selected using the random stratified sampling method. A questionnaire composed of four questions used to collect data. The questionnaire was a modified version of the one used by Karpiacke et al. The frequency of using different study skills (i.e., re-studying, re-writing, using flashcards, studying in groups, memorizing, teaching content, creating headings, self-testing, highlighting, finding connections, and finding real examples) was asked in the first question. Students’ preparation for exams and students’ satisfaction with their study skills were asked in the next questions. Data was analyzed using the chi-square test in SPSS23.Results: Of the 246 participants, 72 (35.8%) undergraduate students and 20 (44.4%) postgraduate students were male. The frequency of using different study skills was the same between the male and female undergraduate students, except for re-writing (P=0.024), studying in groups (P=0.018), and creating headings (P=0.018) which were higher in the female undergraduate students. However, there was no significant difference between male and female postgraduate students in terms of the frequency of using different study skills.Conclusion: The most and least commonly used strategies by the undergraduate and postgraduate students were re-studying and using flashcards, respectively. Only 30.3% of the undergraduate and 24.4% of the postgraduate students used the self-testing strategy.
Niloofar Shadman; Maryam Raoof; Sara Amanpour; Mahsa Mahdian; Jahangir Haghani; Molouk Torabi Parizi
Abstract
Background Dental students are exposed to various stressors that are related to treatment procedures, training, and administrative challenges in the college. Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the stress, anxiety, and depression levels of dental students and their relationships with demographic ...
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Background Dental students are exposed to various stressors that are related to treatment procedures, training, and administrative challenges in the college. Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the stress, anxiety, and depression levels of dental students and their relationships with demographic factors. Methods This was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study on 297 dental students enrolled at the Kerman University of Medical Science in 2015 - 2016. The stress, anxiety, and depression levels were measured using the depression anxiety stress scale-21 (DASS-21). Data on demographic characteristics were also obtained. The statistical analysis was carried out by SPSS (version 11.0) using the chi-squared test. P < 0.05 was set as the level of significance. Results The mean age of the participants was 23.80 ± 1.2 years; 58.9% were female, 88.9% were married, and 33.7% were dormitory students. Free education was provided for 64% of the students while the others were charged a tuition fee. The prevalence rates of moderate to extremely severe levels of stress, anxiety, and depression were 39.7%, 39.4%, and 35.7%, respectively. Stress, anxiety, and depression were not significantly associated with the year of academic study, gender, marital status, and place of residence (P > 0.05). The students with higher scores in the entrance exam who were free of charge presented significantly higher levels of severe-to-extremely severe stress and depression (P = 0.003 and P = 0.033, respectively) than students who were charged tuition fees. Conclusions Based on the findings of the present study, the high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among dental students in Kerman is alarming. This emphasizes the need for interventions, with the development of appropriate support services for this group. However, further studies should be conducted to find major sources of depression, anxiety, and stress.