The impact of personal, family, and educational environment factors on awareness of professionalism among health science students
Keywords:
awareness; health knowledge, attitudes, practice; health personnel; professionalism; students, medical; surveys and questionariesAbstract
Background: Awareness of professionalism is essential for students in health sciences, as it supports effective learning, ethical conduct, and professional development, and plays a crucial role in shaping their future careers.
Objective: To assess the impact of personal characteristics, family background, and educational environment factors on awareness of professionalism among health science students.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a public medical university in southern Vietnam. A total of 969 students completed an online questionnaire. Awareness of professionalism was measured using the 32-item American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) professionalism scale, translated and culturally adapted to Vietnamese. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with professionalism awareness.
Results: The mean professionalism score was 3.94. Multivariate analysis showed that higher awareness of professionalism was significantly associated with older age (p = 0.012), male gender (p = 0.013), enrollment in medicine- or pharmacy-related programs (p = 0.038), and having parents working in healthcare or civil service (p = 0.011). In addition, higher satisfaction with the educational environment, particularly alignment of the chosen major with expectations, perceived faculty expertise, and kindness within the learning environment, was strongly associated with greater professionalism awareness (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Awareness of professionalism among health science students is influenced by personal, family, and educational environment factors, highlighting the need to strengthen professionalism education and supportive learning environments.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Minh Huu Le, Tan Dat Nguyen, Ngoc Huyen Nguyen, Thi Kieu Lan Nguyen, Van Leo Le, Trung Chi Minh Nguyen, Van Trang Do, Thi Hong Tuyen Nguyen
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