Abstract :
Objective: To estimate the prevalence and to explore the determinants of public speech anxiety (PSA) among family medicine trainees at the Joint Program of Family Medicine, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 2020.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted online for 131 residents who completed the original version (34 items) of the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) scale. The PRPSA score (range 34-170) was calculated as the sum of the item scores, and three PSA levels were defined including low (PRPSA score 131). Sociodemographic and academic data were collected and analyzed as factors of PSA.
Results: The mean PRPSA was 100.27 out of 170 (SD = 18.10). Of the participants, 55.0% had moderate and 6.9% had high PRPSA scores. Female participants had a higher percentage of moderate (61.5% vs 45.3%) and high (9.0% vs 3.8%) PRPSA scores compared with males, respectively (p=0.041). A previous negative experience with public speech was also associated with a higher percentage of moderate (73.7% vs 47.3%) and high (15.8% vs 3.2%) PRPSA scores compared to absence of such an experience (p
Conclusion: The latency and high prevalence of PSA among family medicine residents highlight the relevance of incorporating curricula to enhance public speaking and communication skills among medical trainees.
Keyword :
Public speaking anxiety, Prevalence, Severity, Trainee, Saudi Arabia.