The relationship between Southeastern Iran students’ self-esteem and interest in Major

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between students' self-esteem and interest in majoring in southeastern Iran. This was a cross-sectional study on­ 480­ medical students living in dormitories selected by the non-probability convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, and satisfaction with the major scale, which were completed through interviews.­ The Pearson correlation test results showed no relationship between male and female students ‘scores of satisfaction with their major and self-esteem. The mean scores of general self-esteem and total self-esteem in females were higher than in males, but the mean score of academic self-esteem was significantly higher in males. ­In terms of social self-esteem, the highest score was related to people with high social support and people who were well-adapted to their environment. The need for students ‘interest in a major cannot create high self-esteem in this group, and to have students with high self-esteem requires family and social support and the ability to adapt to the environment.

Keywords: Educational status; general health; self-esteem; university student