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Attitudes Toward Community Service Among Higher Health Sciences Students

Year: 2025

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: University Social Responsibility (USR) integrates academic goals with ethics, civic engagement, and sustainability. This study assessed community service attitudes among 529 higher health sciences students using the Portuguese Community Service Attitudes Scale. Although 52.9% reported prior volunteer experience, 75.2% had not participated in community service during university. An association was found between academic programme and prior involvement, particularly among Dental Medicine and Physiotherapy students. While no sex differences were observed, programme-specific trends suggest that practical training fosters stronger civic responsibility. Integrating structured, discipline-specific community service into curricula may enhance civic identity and better align education with sustainable development goals.

DOI: 10.3390/msf2025037002

Authors: Sónia Vicente, Ângela Maria Pereira, Ana Cristina Vidal, Cláudia Maria Costa

Institutions: Escola Superior de Saúde Egas Moniz, Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Unidade Local de Saúde de Almada-Seixal, Escola Superior de Saúde Atlântica

Language: English

Topic: Service-Learning and Community Engagement

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

OpenAlex ID: W4413307718

FWCI:

Cites: 11

Cited by:

Related to: 10