Apreensão na comunicação e fatores associados: uma avaliação entre estudantes da área de saúde de uma instituição pública de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate communication apprehension among health science students at a public higher education institution in Minas Gerais, as well as the aspects that may be related. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with students from the Physical Education, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Medicine, Nutrition, and Dentistry courses at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora – Governador Valadares campus. Data collection took place between March 2023 and October 2024, using a validated form containing the Brazilian version of the Personal Communication Apprehension Report (PRCA-24), the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Related to Interprofessional Collaboration (EJARCI), and provided sociodemographic data such as gender, age, semester of the course, and participation in collaborative activities. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted. This study was approved by the university's Ethics Committee under No. CAAE 59206122.4.0000.5147. Findings: 740 students participated in the study, predominantly female (n=491; 66.35%) with a mean age of 22 years. Most were in the initial semesters of their undergraduate studies (n=442; 60%), and the most represented course was Medicine (n=213; 28.78%). A large proportion of students reported participating in at least one collaborative activity (n=391; 52.84%), with "Project" being the most frequent modality (n=229; 30.95%). It was observed that female students presented higher scores of apprehension in communication compared to male students (β= −7.29; 95% CI: −10.05; −4.54). Regarding the courses, the only ones that showed a significant difference compared to the reference group (Pharmacy) were Medicine (β= −5.86; 95% CI: −9.62; −2.10) and Nutrition (β= −4.34; 95% CI: −8.60; −0.07). As for the course year, only sixth-year students showed a significant reduction in apprehension compared to first-year students (β = −10.50; 95% CI: −20.19; −0.82). Participation in collaborative activities, especially professional training (β = −5.43; 95% CI: −10.53; −0.33;) and study groups (β = −4.67; 95% CI: −9.03; −0.30;) maintained a significant association with lower scores compared to students who did not participate in these activities. Age did not show a significant association. Conclusion: Communication anxiety was prevalent among health science students, influenced by sociodemographic and academic factors, and participation in collaborative activities. The higher level of anxiety observed among women and pharmacy students suggests the influence of sociocultural and curricular aspects in the development of these skills. Lower anxiety in courses with greater practical involvement indicates that communicative experiences throughout the undergraduate program contribute to the development of this competence. In addition, participation in collaborative activities demonstrated a positive effect in reducing communicative anxiety. The results reinforce the importance of pedagogical strategies that promote active communication and interprofessional integration. In this way, educational interventions can contribute to the development of the National Curriculum Guidelines (DCNs) for health-related courses at the national level, considering the perspective of interprofessional education and the training of professionals better prepared to work in health.