Medición del enganche académico en estudiantes de Optometría de la Universidad Santo Tomás

Abstract

Introduction: academic engagement is defined as an affective-cognitive sense of well-being in the face of academic challenges and is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. It is associated with improved academic performance, retention, and student well-being. Objective: to determine the level of academic engagement among students in the School of Optometry during the 2025 academic year. Methodology: a descriptive, cross-sectional observational study with a census sample. A sociodemographic questionnaire and the UWES-17 scale were administered. Univariate analysis was performed using the Shapiro-Wilk test and measures of central tendency and dispersion; qualitative variables were described using frequencies. Student’s t-test, the Wilcoxon test, and ANOVA were used in the bivariate analysis. Results: a total of 218 students participated (72% of the total); 77% were women, with a median age of 20 years (IQR 18–22) and 50.6% were non-local students. The median for vigor was 3.66 (IQR 2.83–4.66), for dedication 5.3 (IQR 4.6–5.8), and for absorption 4.0 (IQR 3.16–4.83). In the bivariate analysis, when cross-tabulating non-local status with sociodemographic variables, no significant associations were found (p>0.05), except for alcohol consumption and systemic engagement (p<0.05). When relating training cycles to sociodemographic variables, most cross-tabulations showed no statistical significance (p>0.05); only socioeconomic status showed a significant association (p<0.05). Conclusions: commitment remains high and stable throughout the training program, while energy levels and engagement tend to decline. On the other hand, socioeconomic status indirectly influences academic retention, whereas other sociodemographic variables did not show a significant association.