Work

Measurement Heterogeneity and Pooled Prevalence of Academic Procrastination Among Health Sciences Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Year: 2026

Type: review

Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis

Abstract: BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In health sciences students, academic procrastination can affect performance, mental health, and professional development. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of study-defined elevated academic procrastination among health sciences students and to describe the methodological and measurement characteristics of the instruments used to assess it. METHODS: A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted. We included observational studies reporting the prevalence of academic procrastination among undergraduate students enrolled in health sciences programs, including medicine, nursing, dentistry, psychology, and related health professions. The reported measurement characteristics of the instruments used to assess academic procrastination, including validity, reliability, and cut-off criteria, were reviewed and systematized. The meta-analysis was performed employing a random-effects model and the double arcsine transformation (Freeman-Tukey) to stabilize variance. Subgroup analyses and meta-regressions were calculated to explore possible sources of variation. RESULTS: = 98%). The prevalence was higher in nursing students (62.60%), followed by psychology (61.67%), medicine (52.62%), and dentistry (45.76%). The most commonly used instruments were the Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students (38.5%), Academic Procrastination Scale (23.1%), Tuckman's Procrastination Scale or its adaptations (15.4%), Academic Procrastination Scale by McCloskey and Scielzo or related APS versions (11.5%), Lay's Procrastination Scale (7.7%), and MHCA (3.8%). Most studies used non-probabilistic sampling, and only 8% validated instruments specifically for their target populations. Reliability coefficients were generally adequate (α = 0.75-0.95). The meta-regression revealed a slight upward trend in prevalence as a function of publication year, although this was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Academic procrastination appears to be frequent among health sciences students; however, the pooled estimate should be interpreted as a descriptive summary of study-defined prevalence rather than as a universal prevalence estimate, given the very high between-study heterogeneity and the variability in instruments, cut-off criteria, and population-specific validation. Educational institutions should implement prevention and support strategies, while research should prioritize instrument validation, measurement standardization, and transparent case definition criteria.

Source: European Journal of Investigation in Health Psychology and Education

DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe16100154