Extracurricular Activities Amongst Health Colleges Students at the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University

OBJECTIVES: To study the attitude of health colleges students about extracurricular activities.

METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted among 213 students, only 117 students responded. An online survey was sent to all students in the second-year health colleges at the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (formally University of Dammam) in Saudi Arabia in 2015 (February-April). The survey consisted of two parts; Part I: Students participation in different activities, and Part II: consisted of questions about the barriers of participating in the extracurricular activities.

RESULTS: The results showed that the participation percentage in extracurricular activities was low (9.6%). Students at the present study reported that the most common obstacle was the conflict with the classes. Students stated other factors such as; there were no incentive, not encouraged by faculty members to participate in extracurricular activities, no guidance for the activities and its objectives and that most of the activities are not attractive.

CONCLUSION: Engagement in extracurricular activities among health colleges student at the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University was low. Obstacles should be addressed by the deanships of student affairs in order to enhance the involvement in extracurricular activity.