The Characteristics of Apathy in University Students and Issues in Education The Effect on Clinical Training of Attitude and Results (GPA) Prior to Clinical Training, and Forecast Training Results

Abstract

Background: In recent years, the apathetic attitude of students has been a frequent problem in clinical training. Objectives: To consider the effects on students' results for the clinical training element of their course of their attitude and grade point average (GPA) prior to clinical training, and to examine educational issues within the university. Method: The study focused on 43 fourthyear students in this university's Department of Occupational Therapy. In order to survey students' attitudes and results prior to undertaking clinical training, we looked at three criteria: their GPA at the university prior to clinical training, an Apathy scale and a locus of control. Thereafter, using Spearman rank order correlations and multiple logistic regression analysis, we undertook a comparison, at a significance level of 5%, of the relationship between attitude and results prior to the two eight-week periods of clinical training (Clinical Training III) undertaken by the students. Results: With regard to the training results in the field of mental disability, there was a significant correlation between GPA and Apathy. In particular, those with a sense of physical fatigue and those suffering from a disrupted lifestyle tended to have bad results for their training in this field. In the field of geriatric care as well, there was a significant correlation where those with a disrupted lifestyle were concerned. On the other hand, unlike in other fields, results for training in the field of physical disability showed a significant correlation with regard to lack of effort. Looking at the training by period, GPA had an effect on results for the first period of training, but no correlation was seen with regard to results for the second period. On the other hand, the locus of control and Apathy total were related to results for the second period of training. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed us that it was possible to predict the probability that results for training in the field of mental disability would be in the lower two groups from the rise in the total for lifestyle disruption prior to clinical training (odds ratio 2.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.03～5.57, p=0.04). Furthermore, we discovered that it was possibly to predict the probability that results for training in the field of mental disability would be in the top group from the rise in the total for physical fatigue prior to clinical training (odds ratio 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.40～0.95, p=0.03). Conclusions: Items where there was a correlation with clinical training results can generally be said to be expressions of attitude or drive. In other words, even if the low expression of attitude or drive can be covered up in the first period of training by academic work completed prior to the training, it is likely that a apathetic attitude will have an effect on results for clinical training during the second period. The point on which we would particularly like to focus is the fact that, based on the results of multiple logistic regression analysis, we were able to calculate that it was possible to predict results for training in the field of mental disability from the totals for lifestyle disruption and physical fatigue prior to clinical training