Factors Associated with Enrollment in Allied Health Education Programs: Development of a Predictive Scale

The purpose of this study was to identify factors related to a student's decision to enroll in college/university allied health education programs. The secondary purpose was to create a scale that can be used by colleges and universities to assess decision-making among prospective and current a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of allied health 2011-07, Vol.40 (2), p.82-89
Main Authors: Barfield, Folio, Mary Rhonda, Lam, Eddie T. C., Zhang, James J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Allied Health Occupations Education
Altruism
Career Development
Colleges & universities
Decision making
Enrollments
Health education
Higher education
Influence
Medical personnel
Professionals
Professions
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Secondary schools
Student Interests
Student recruitment
Workforce
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to identify factors related to a student's decision to enroll in college/university allied health education programs. The secondary purpose was to create a scale that can be used by colleges and universities to assess decision-making among prospective and current allied health education students. METHODS: We identified factors and developed the scale in 4 stages: 1) review of the literature, 2) focus group studies, 3) pilot testing, and 4) administration of the scale and testing of measurement properties. Research participants (n = 1,123) were students enrolled in allied and non-allied health education programs in Tennessee. RESULTS: In exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, this study identified six factors linked to the decision to enroll in allied health education programs: personal influence, social influence, academic preparation, career opportunity, individual aspiration, and self-efficacy. Discriminant function analyses further revealed that these factors predicted program enrollment status. CONCLUSION: Although this scale may not be generalizable to all allied health education fields, it may assist universities and colleges in targeting and recruiting students into their allied health education programs.
ISSN:0090-7421
1945-404X