Relationship between Sense of Coherence and Procrastination among a Group of Undergraduate Dental Students in Chennai City - An Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Procrastination is considered problematic when it affects normal day-to-day functioning. It can serve as a deterrent among undergraduate dental students both for their academic and career growth. Behaviour modifications are required to change this negative behaviour and Sense of Coherence is one such approach. Aim: To assess the relationship between Sense of Coherence and Procrastination among a group of undergraduate dental students in Chennai city. Material and Methods: A cross sectional questionnaire study was conducted among 358 undergraduate dental students. Thirteen item Sense of Coherence scale and Lay’s Procrastination scale were used to collect data about Sense of Coherence and Procrastination among undergraduate dental students respectively, using google forms. One-way ANOVA and Independent T test were used to test for difference in mean scores between groups based on year of study and gender, respectively. Pearsons correlation coefficient followed by Simple Linear Regression was performed to test for association between Sense of Coherence and Procrastination. Results: The overall mean Sense of Coherence score of the study participants was 49.52 ± 8.13. The overall mean Procrastination score of the study participants was 56.58 ± 10.02. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient revealed a negative correlation (r = -.255) between Sense of Coherence and Procrastination (p = .000) indicating that with an increase in Sense of Coherence, Procrastination decreases. In tandem, the third year students with lowest Sense of Coherence score showed highest procrastination. Conclusion: Procrastination is negatively associated with Sense of Coherence and hence behaviour modification interventions based on Sense of Coherence are required, to be customized and incorporated in dental curriculum to reduce procrastination among undergraduate dental students.