Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Istanbul Aydin University, cilt.5, sa.1, ss.143-155, 2022 (Hakemli Dergi)
Objective: Self-esteem is expressed as self-respect, self-confidence and self-acceptance. This
study aims to determine the self-esteem level of first grade university students in healthcare
fields and related factors. This study is instructive in terms of identifying the factors affecting the
self-esteem of future healthcare professionals and looking for solutions for the problems with a
multidisciplinary approach.
Materials and Methods: The population of the cross-sectional study consists of first year
students from Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, School of Physical Therapy and
Rehabilitation and Vocational School of Health Services. We aimed to reach the entire universe
(n=1039) without making a sample selection and 836 students participated in this study. The data
were collected with a questionnaire created using the literature and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem
Scale.
Results: 82.5% of the students had high self-esteem. It was determined that students who study
in physiotherapy and who lived in villages in their childhood had higher self-esteem (p<0.05).
Significant relation was found between the student’s perception of self-income and health
status, parents’ education level, father’s job, parents’ living together, family’s perception of the
economic situation, and high self-esteem (p<0.05). Self-esteem level decreased significantly as
body mass index (BMI) increased (p<0.05). Those students who did not drink alcohol, had good
social relations with their families and friends and were happy to spend time on social media had
higher self-esteem (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Some sociodemographic, familial and anthropometric characteristics of students,
positive relationship with their family, friends and social media affect the level of self-esteem. In
order to solve the lifestyle and social problems that affect students’ self-esteem, it is recommended
to create an educational environment that protects mental health and to provide social support.