What Drives Health Professions Learners to Engage in Extracurricular Activities? Insights from Medical, Nursing, and Applied Medical Sciences Students

Introduction: Extracurricular activities (ECAs) are activities that occur beyond classrooms and can facilitate the personal and professional development of university students. This study described the drives and perceived challenges to ECAs among health professions students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample comprising 324 students from the colleges of medicine, nursing, and applied medical sciences. The study employed a 39-item questionnaire developed to assess the drives to participate in ECAs, engagement in ECAs, and willingness to engage in ECAs. Exploratory factor analysis was applied to assess the construct validity of the developed questionnaire. An independent t -test was conducted to compare the responses of male and female students. One-way Analysis of Variance was conducted to compare student engagement in ECAs among batches. Pearson correlation analysis determined the associations between the discrete questionnaire scales. Results: Students were mostly engaged in social and community service activities, with high positive perceptions and motivation. Statistically significant differences were found between male and female responses in negative perceptions and extrinsic motivations. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in three factors. Statistically significant correlations were found between most of the questionnaire scales, and multiple regression analysis revealed that the dependent variables were not normally distributed, therefore limiting the validity of the inferences. Conclusions: Health professions students exhibited a high willingness to participate in, and substantial engagement in ECAs. However, challenges should be mitigated, and engagement in ECAs should be encouraged with adequate support.