The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on enrollment in undergraduate health-related studies in Spain

The aim of this study was to determine whether the pandemic has reinforced the choice of pursuing health-related bachelor’s degrees, and to identify underlying factors that could contribute to that impact. This is a cross-sectional study using an online survey of 2,344 students of nursing, physiothe...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: March Amengual, Jaume Miquel, Cambra Badii, Irene, Pineda Galán, Consolación, Busquets Alibés, Ester, Masó Aguado, Montse, Ramón Aribau, Anna, Feito Grande, Lydia, Comella Cayuela, Agustí, Terribas i Sala, Nuria, Andrade Gómez, Elena, Martínez Pérez, Naiara, Jerez Roig, Javier
Formato: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Recursos:Universidad del País Vasco
Repositorio:Addi. Archivo Digital para la Docencia y la Investigación
OAI Identifier:oai:addi.ehu.eus:10810/65527
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10810/65527
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:COVID-19
health
higher education
graduate students
social change
Descrição
Resumo:The aim of this study was to determine whether the pandemic has reinforced the choice of pursuing health-related bachelor’s degrees, and to identify underlying factors that could contribute to that impact. This is a cross-sectional study using an online survey of 2,344 students of nursing, physiotherapy, medicine, psychology and podiatry who started health-related bachelor’s degrees after the COVID-19 outbreak in Spanish higher education institutions. The pandemic influenced the choice of these studies by increasing the desire to help others (33.2%), by increasing citizenship values (28.4%), and by increasing the desire to contribute to improving the situation of the country (27.5%). Women had a significantly greater influence on the increase in social values related to the practice of the profession produced by the pandemic, whereas men and the bachelor’s degree in podiatry were more influenced by salary prospects. An increased desire to help others was significantly higher among women and nursing and medical students. Podiatry and psychology were the degrees were most influenced by the pandemic, as more students decided to pursue them, something they had previously doubted, while in nursing, psychology, and medicine the pandemic reinforced their interest in pursuing the degree the most. Students personally affected by COVID-19 reported being more influenced in reconsidering their professional path and in reinforcing their desire to pursue the health-related studies.