Motivation towards medical career choice and academic performance in Latin American medical students: A cross-sectional study.xls

Motivation
in medical students is positively associated with learning strategies. However,
the evidence of a direct relationship between motivation and performance is
vague. The objective of this study is to determine if the motivation that
pushed students to choose the medical career is associated with their academic
performance during their university years. The study
was conducted in 4,290 medical students from 10 countries in Latin America. The
“Attribution Scale of General Achievement Motivation” was used to evaluate their
general performance. The “Medical motivation Scale” test was used to measure
social, altruist, economic, and prestige motivators. For statistical analyses, frequencies
and percentages were described, and generalized linear models were used to
establish statistical associations. Fifty
percent of the students surveyed were females and the mean student age was 21
years old. This study showed that male students had a higher social/altruist
motivation (PR:1.11,95%CI: 1.03-1.18; p<0,01) than females. Those who had
familial pressure had a lower social/altruist motivation
(PR:0.17,95%CI:0.08-0.36; p<0,001). The positive vocational test was associated
with a higher social/altruist motivation (PR:1.85,95%CI:1.03-3.30; p<0,05).
Moreover, good grades at school were related with a higher economical/prestige
motivation (PR:1.39,95%CI:1.05-1.83; p<0,05), but lower social/altruist motivation
(PR:0.85,95%CI:0.74-0.98; p<0,05) and academic performance
(PR:0.63,95%CI:0.50-0.79; p<0,001). We found a higher frequency in the
general motivation was associated to a lowest social/altruist motivation (PR:
0.57; CI95%: 0.46-0.70; p<0.001), and that it increased according to the
year of study (PR: 1.15; CI95%: 1.03-1.28; p:0.013) and was higher when
pressure by the family was present (PR: 1.36; CI95%: 1.17-1.59; p<0.001). This
study indicated that male medical students and having a positive vocational
test were associated with a higher social/altruist motivation. Conversely,
those who had familial pressure and good grades at school had a lower
social/altruist motivation. Is necessary to conduct further studies that assess
other factors related to motivation as demographics, personality, and learning
styles.

医学生的学习动机与学习策略呈正相关关系，但目前关于动机与学业表现之间直接关联的研究证据仍较为模糊。本研究旨在探究促使学生选择医学专业的动机，是否与其大学就读期间的学业表现存在关联。本研究的研究对象为来自拉丁美洲10个国家的4290名医学生。研究采用一般成就动机归因量表（Attribution Scale of General Achievement Motivation）评估受试者的总体学业表现，同时采用医学动机量表（Medical motivation Scale）测量社会型、利他型、经济型与声望型四类动机诱因。统计分析环节，研究人员先描述了频数与百分比数据，并通过广义线性模型（generalized linear models）构建统计关联。本次受访学生中女性占比50%，平均年龄为21岁。本研究结果显示，男性医学生的社会/利他型动机水平显著高于女性（率比PR=1.11，95%置信区间CI:1.03-1.18；p<0.01）。存在家庭压力的学生，其社会/利他型动机水平更低（PR=0.17，95%CI:0.08-0.36；p<0.001）。职业倾向测试阳性的学生，社会/利他型动机水平更高（PR=1.85，95%CI:1.03-3.30；p<0.05）。此外，在校成绩优异的学生，其经济/声望型动机水平更高（PR=1.39，95%CI:1.05-1.83；p<0.05），但社会/利他型动机水平更低（PR=0.85，95%CI:0.74-0.98；p<0.05），且学业表现更差（PR=0.63，95%CI:0.50-0.79；p<0.001）。研究发现，总体动机水平越高的学生，其社会/利他型动机水平越低（PR=0.57，95%CI:0.46-0.70；p<0.001）；同时，总体动机水平随学年增长而提升（PR=1.15，95%CI:1.03-1.28；p=0.013），且在存在家庭压力的学生中更高（PR=1.36，95%CI:1.17-1.59；p<0.001）。本研究表明，男性医学生以及职业倾向测试阳性的群体，社会/利他型动机水平更高；反之，存在家庭压力且在校成绩优异的学生，其社会/利他型动机水平更低。未来仍需开展进一步研究，评估人口统计学特征、人格特质与学习风格等其他与动机相关的影响因素。