Understanding attitudes and willingness to volunteer in COVID-19 hospitals in a setting where medical students were not deployed

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the attitude and willingness of medical students in Serbia to volunteer in COVID-19 hospitals. METHODS: This study was conducted in late 2021 among 326 students in latter 3 study years. Data were collected using an anonymous online questionnaire focusing on demographic characteristics, epidemiologyrelated factors surrounding participants, self-assessed personality traits and a validated scale about attitudes toward volunteering. RESULTS: A total of 58.1 % of medical students were willing to volunteer in COVID-19 hospitals. Having higher grades, having parents with lower education level and having volunteered previously were characteristics associated with a stronger positive attitude toward volunteering. Having higher grades, having parents with lower education level, living with people aged > 65 years and having had COVID-19 infection was associated with the willingness to volunteer. The adjusted multivariate regression model suggested that higher levels of self-perceived consciousness, extraversion and openness to experience were independently associated with stronger positive attitudes toward volunteering. A similar model showed that openness to experience remained independently associated with the willingness to volunteer in COVID-19 hospitals. CONCLUSION: A number of individual factors may be involved in the decision to volunteer in COVID-19 hospitals. Promotion of volunteering in medical schools could be infl uential for future health emergencies (Tab. 6, Ref. 32). Text in PDF www.elis.sk