HOBBIES AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES PRACTICED AMONG DENTISTS AND MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS IN CHENNAI – A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hobbies and Extracurricular Activities (EA) provide an outlet for stress. The Medical and Dental field is a long emotionally taxing journey. Stress progressively develops over the course of Medical/Dental education. It is challenging to strike a balance between leading a successful medical profession as well as pursuing their favored Hobbies/EA’s. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.Evaluate the number of dental and medical practitioners participating in hobbies and extracurricular activities. 2) To correlate the involvement of extracurricular activity in terms of progress, joyfulness and level of achievement. 3) To suggest a schedule to continue long lost hobbies and extracurricular activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out amongst the dental and medical practitioners in Chennai between March 2017 and May 2017. A total of 120 self-administered questionnaires were distributed amongst dentists working at 2 private colleges and as dental and medical practitioners in private clinics. The questionnaire contained demographic details along with a set of 14 questions which included 6 openended questions and 8 closed-ended questions. RESULTS: Upon evaluating the number of people involving in extracurricular activities, it was found significant that doctors working more than 5 hours could not continue their activities regularly and those whom worked less than 5 hours a day were able to involve regularly. Around 13 people did not answer those two questionnaires. The correlation coefficient was positively correlated 0.012 which showed a weak positive correlation proving that the dentists who balanced between profession and extracurricular activities outperform the people who did not take part in extracurricular activities. This study showed that working less or more has a significant impact the extracurricular activities to a negative correlation. (- 0.047). CONCLUSION: Involvement by the dentists and medical practitioners in hobbies and extracurricular activities and it was found significant that, • Majority of them who engaged in activities were continuing them regularly. • They also wished to reschedule their time to participate effectively in hobbies and activities. KEY WORDS: Hobbies, Extracurricular activities, Stress, Dental professional / medical professional.