Assessing grit as a potential additional domain for dental students' selection

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychology
• Student Well-being

Background:

• Dental students face significant stress, burnout, and unhappiness, impacting academic performance.
• Grit, defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals, can counteract negative emotions.
• This study investigates the role of grit in the well-being of dental students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the association between grit and happiness among dental students at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).
• To ascertain the prevalence of grit and happiness within the UiTM dental student population.
• To compare grit and happiness levels across different years of study.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 409 undergraduate dental students at UiTM.
• Validated instruments, the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S) and Pemberton Happiness Index (PHI), were administered.
• Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-tests, Pearson's correlation, and linear regression.

Main Results:

• A response rate of 65% (266 students) was achieved.
• Prevalence of grit was 79%, while happiness was 41% among UiTM dental students.
• A significant positive correlation (r=0.225, p<0.001) was found between grit and happiness, with gritty students reporting higher happiness.

Conclusions:

• Despite a high prevalence of grit, happiness levels among UiTM dental students are notably low.
• Higher grit scores positively influence happiness in dental students.
• Grit may be a valuable trait to consider for selection in future dental student admissions.