A ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ASSERTIVENESS AND ANXIETY: A STUDY AMONG DENTAL STUDENTS

Abstract

Undergraduate students live with many risk factors for psychological illness, and students in health courses are more likely to develop anxiety throughout the course. This study aimed to investigate the association between the level of assertiveness and anxiety of undergraduate students in Dentistry. This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted with 362 individuals, of both sexes, with a mean age of 21.1 years, enrolled in the dentistry course of a public institution of higher education in São Paulo. Socioeconomic data were collected and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Rathus Assertiveness Scale were used to investigate the anxiety and assertiveness variables. All data collection was conducted through an electronic questionnaire sent by email or WhatsApp. Initially, descriptive analyses of all variables and multiple logistic regression models were performed between the independent variables and the outcome (degree of anxiety). There was a statistically significant association between anxiety and the year of the course, with fourth-year students presenting severe anxiety. There was also an association between anxiety and assertiveness, with students in the non-assertive group having severe anxiety levels. A significant association was found between the degree of anxiety and assertiveness, which is a risk factor for the health and academic performance of undergraduate dental students, highlighting the need for preventive interventions for early identification and learning of social skills.