Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- . Shiva Kumar Patanapu
- . Dolar Doshi
- . Suhas Kulkarni
- . Padma Reddy
- . Srilatha Adepu
- . Srikanth Reddy
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Personal growth initiative (PGI) is an “intentional involvement in changing and
developing as a person.” A student who has higher level of PGI is said to show higher academic
performance because higher level of PGI might increase the student’s contribution and achievement
in life.
AIM: This study aimed to explore the association between academic performance and PGI among
undergraduate dental students.
METHODS: A cross‑sectional study was carried out among 287 2nd, 3rd, 4th year dental students
and interns of Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences, Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad. Personal growth
was evaluated by Personal Growth Initiative Scale‑II (PGIS‑II) along with their university academic
performance in the last year. SPSS package version 21.0, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Mann–Whitney
U‑test were used for comparison among variables.
RESULTS: A significant difference (P = 0.05) was observed for PGIS subscale “readiness for
change,” with a higher mean score among 4th‑year students (3.59 ± 1.07). However, females showed
higher mean score for all subscales of PGIS except “Using resources” and total PGIS, but there is
no significant gender difference. While higher mean scores for all subscales and total PGIS were
observed among students who attained > 75% in their last year university examination, significant
difference was observed for subscale “Intentional behavior” (P = 0.02) only.
CONCLUSION: PGI scale plays a crucial role among students to experience increased levels of
well‑being, develop them positively, and adapt to adverse situations.
Keywords
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