Different Sources of Social Support and Their Associations with Academic Engagement and Life Satisfaction Among Nursing and Physiotherapy Students
<b>Background</b>: The role of social support in fostering academic engagement (AE) and life satisfaction (LS) is well established, as both are essential for student well-being and success. Theoretical frameworks suggest that distinct sources of social support contribute uniquely to thes...
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2025-02-01
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| author | Maja Kućar Andreja Brajša-Žganec Marijana Neuberg |
| author_facet | Maja Kućar Andreja Brajša-Žganec Marijana Neuberg |
| author_sort | Maja Kućar |
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| description | <b>Background</b>: The role of social support in fostering academic engagement (AE) and life satisfaction (LS) is well established, as both are essential for student well-being and success. Theoretical frameworks suggest that distinct sources of social support contribute uniquely to these outcomes. However, limited research has explored these relationships in specific populations, such as nursing and physiotherapy students. <b>Methods</b>: This study aimed to examine the differential relationships between three sources of social support (family, significant other, and friends), AE and LS in a sample of 363 university students (84% female, M<sub>age</sub> = 26.52, SD = 8.13) in Croatia (nursing and physiotherapy program). A cross-sectional design was employed using self-reported data. <b>Results</b>: The results of a hierarchical regression analysis revealed that family support was the only significant positive predictor of both AE and LS. Among the demographic variables, an older age was associated with higher AE and LS, while employed students reported lower LS. The findings were consistent across younger (18–24 years) and older (25–48 years) subgroups, with the exception of older students’ AE, where none of the social support sources emerged as significant predictors. Regarding bivariate correlations, all three social support subscales correlated positively with AE and LS, but the correlations were higher for LS. <b>Conclusions</b>: These results highlight the central role of family support in academic and life outcomes for nursing and physiotherapy students, offering insights for targeted interventions to enhance student well-being. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1dbed7fab2eb4b2e9361b427b411fbd2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2813-9844 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-1dbed7fab2eb4b2e9361b427b411fbd22025-08-20T01:48:58ZengMDPI AGPsychology International2813-98442025-02-01711610.3390/psycholint7010016Different Sources of Social Support and Their Associations with Academic Engagement and Life Satisfaction Among Nursing and Physiotherapy StudentsMaja Kućar0Andreja Brajša-Žganec1Marijana Neuberg2Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences, 10 000 Zagreb, CroatiaIvo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences, 10 000 Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Nursing, University Centre Varaždin, University North, Ul. 104. Brigade 3, 42 000 Varaždin, Croatia<b>Background</b>: The role of social support in fostering academic engagement (AE) and life satisfaction (LS) is well established, as both are essential for student well-being and success. Theoretical frameworks suggest that distinct sources of social support contribute uniquely to these outcomes. However, limited research has explored these relationships in specific populations, such as nursing and physiotherapy students. <b>Methods</b>: This study aimed to examine the differential relationships between three sources of social support (family, significant other, and friends), AE and LS in a sample of 363 university students (84% female, M<sub>age</sub> = 26.52, SD = 8.13) in Croatia (nursing and physiotherapy program). A cross-sectional design was employed using self-reported data. <b>Results</b>: The results of a hierarchical regression analysis revealed that family support was the only significant positive predictor of both AE and LS. Among the demographic variables, an older age was associated with higher AE and LS, while employed students reported lower LS. The findings were consistent across younger (18–24 years) and older (25–48 years) subgroups, with the exception of older students’ AE, where none of the social support sources emerged as significant predictors. Regarding bivariate correlations, all three social support subscales correlated positively with AE and LS, but the correlations were higher for LS. <b>Conclusions</b>: These results highlight the central role of family support in academic and life outcomes for nursing and physiotherapy students, offering insights for targeted interventions to enhance student well-being.https://www.mdpi.com/2813-9844/7/1/16social supportlife satisfactionacademic engagementnursing studentsphysiotherapy students |
| spellingShingle | Maja Kućar Andreja Brajša-Žganec Marijana Neuberg Different Sources of Social Support and Their Associations with Academic Engagement and Life Satisfaction Among Nursing and Physiotherapy Students Psychology International social support life satisfaction academic engagement nursing students physiotherapy students |
| title | Different Sources of Social Support and Their Associations with Academic Engagement and Life Satisfaction Among Nursing and Physiotherapy Students |
| title_full | Different Sources of Social Support and Their Associations with Academic Engagement and Life Satisfaction Among Nursing and Physiotherapy Students |
| title_fullStr | Different Sources of Social Support and Their Associations with Academic Engagement and Life Satisfaction Among Nursing and Physiotherapy Students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Different Sources of Social Support and Their Associations with Academic Engagement and Life Satisfaction Among Nursing and Physiotherapy Students |
| title_short | Different Sources of Social Support and Their Associations with Academic Engagement and Life Satisfaction Among Nursing and Physiotherapy Students |
| title_sort | different sources of social support and their associations with academic engagement and life satisfaction among nursing and physiotherapy students |
| topic | social support life satisfaction academic engagement nursing students physiotherapy students |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2813-9844/7/1/16 |
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