Prevalence of academic procrastination, manifestations and associated factors at the beginning of a medical career

Abstract

Introduction: Upon entering medical school, students experience potentially stressful situations that put them at high risk for academic procrastination (AP), which is a tendency to procrastinate on homework, which generates emotional distress and is related to poor school performance.

Objective: To establish the prevalence of AP, its manifestations and associated factors in new medical students.

Method: Analytical cross-sectional survey, between september and november 2023, 124 medical students who were taking propaedeutic in basic cycles answered two online forms: the MHCA to assess AP and the SISCO for academic stress (AS), plus the socioeconomic level scale (SEL) and another with psychological and personality factors (PPF).

Results: 27% of the students resulted with a very high level of AP, more than half were distracted and left their school activities at the last minute, were easily distracted by social networks, felt tired and were not motivated; with AS they resulted in 32%. The best multivariate model to explain AP included high SEL (OR = 0.132, 95% CI 0.021-0.826, p = 0.030), lack of responsibility (OR = 6.73, 95% CI 2.35-19.3, p < 0.0001), lack of energy (OR = 4.75, 95% CI 1.46-15.477, p = 0.010) and stressors (OR = 4.62, 95% CI 1.68-12.68, p = 0.003). With the qualitative data analysis tool, it was concluded that adapting to a new education system generated stress and anxiety; they needed support from their teachers and asked for changes in the way they acted.

Conclusions: AP is prevalent at the beginning of the career, manifests itself with negative feelings for delaying commitments, lack of energy and lack of motivation, associated with SEL, AS and PPF. Identifying the factors associated with AP will help plan strategies to prevent and overcome it. Teachers involved in training future doctors could change their methods to help them improve their school performance.