The association between resilience and academic performance among nursing students: a cross-sectional study in Japan

Objective: Medical science students, especially nursing students, are more likely to experience academic stress; therefore, resilience helps them focus on their lessons attentively. However, the results of a few existing studies regarding how resilience impacts the academic performance of medical science students are incongruent. This study aimed to investigate whether resilience impacts the academic performance of Japanese nursing students. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire survey from September to November 2020. A total of 229 undergraduate nursing students participated in this study; here, resilience was measured using the Bidimensional Resilience Scale, which includes innate factors (optimism, control, sociability, and vitality) and acquired factors (problem-solving, self-understanding, and understanding others). Academic performance was measured using the functional grade point average (f-GPA). Covariates were demographics, pre-entry academic performance levels, medical history, time spent walking, psychological distress, subjective economic status, and part-time jobs. Multivariate regression analyses were performed. Results: Among the 229 participants, the f-GPA mean (standard deviation) was 2.93 (0.46). Only vitality was significantly associated with a higher f-GPA after multiple imputations (β = 0.06; 95% confidence interval = 0.03-0.09; P<0.01). The Poisson regression analysis of 212 participants with all data indicated that vitality was associated with the fourth quartile f-GPA (prevalence ratio, 1.05; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.08; P<0.01). Conclusion: There was a significant association between the vitality of resilience components and academic performance among Japanese nursing students. This study suggests that an approach that develops resilience is necessary for the academic success of nursing students.