The Role of Self-Esteem Dimensions in the Academic Performance of Medical Sciences Students

Introduction:Self-esteem is one of the essential components in maintaining mental and physical health.Individuals who have positive self-esteem are more flexible and able to accept their strengths and weaknesses.The results of studies have shown that increasing self-esteem leads to increased self-confidence and efficiency in students.The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between different dimensions of self-esteem and academic performance in students of Alborz University of Medical Sciences.Method: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted among 704 students of Alborz University of Medical Sciences in 2020.Data were collected using Cooper Smith's standard self-esteem questionnaire and demographic characteristics questionnaire.The samples were selected randomly and classified according to the number of students in each field.Students' academic performance was obtained using the cumulative grade point average of the past semesters by self-report method.Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation tests and multivariate linear regression. Results:The results showed that the mean and standard deviation of self-esteem in the general dimension was 18.24 (4.1), in the social dimension was 5.03 (1.79), in the family dimension was 5.7 (2.15), and in the academic dimension was 5.65 (1.67).Also, there was a significant correlation between academic performance and self-esteem in the general dimension (p > 0.01, r=0.12), social dimension (p > 0.01, r=0.14), family dimension (p > 0.01, r=0.20), and academic dimension (p > 0.01, r=0.34).Multiple linear regression results showed that the academic self-esteem dimension had the greatest effect on academic performance, so with other variables constant, on average, with an increase of one unit in academic self-esteem score, academic performance would increase by 37%. Conclusion:The highest correlation between academic self-esteem and academic performance was observed.It is recommended that instructors pay more attention to this dimension of self-esteem in students in order to improve academic performance in classroom and clinical environments.