Journal of Associated Medical Sciences (Mar 2019)
A study of self-esteem and academic achievement of undergraduate students with physical or locomotion disability in Chiang Mai University
Abstract
Background: Self-esteem reflects an individual’s judgment concerning worth and accepting or rejecting of self that shows in one's attitude. Low self-esteem is a weakening condition that shields an individual from understanding their full potential and limits their engaging in an occupation.Academic achievement is viewed as a key criterion to judge one's total capabilities and potentialities. There are several studies about the self-esteem and academic achievement of undergraduate students; however, limited studies exist for undergraduate students with physical or locomotion disability. Objectives: To determine the level of self-esteem in undergraduate students in Chiang Mai University with a physical or locomotion disability and explore the associations between self-esteem level and academic achievement. Materials and methods: Data collection was performed during the academic year 2017, in a sample of 27 undergraduate students in Chiang Mai University with physical or locomotion disability using Rogers Rubin’s Self-Esteem Scale, in order to identify the self-esteem level of the participants. Fisher’s exact tests were used to explore the associations between the self-esteem level and the background characteristics of the participants. Results: Unexpectedly, the undergraduate students with physical or locomotion disability had average or high self-esteem level, although there was no statistically significant association between academic achievement and self-esteem. Gender variable was significantly associated to the participants’ self-esteem. Conclusion: To promote self-esteem among undergraduate students with a physical or locomotion disability, occupational therapists should encourage them to engage in positive occupations that the person has the capability to accomplish and chooses to accomplish to regulate their rhythm of personal and community life.
