Slovenian midwifery students and their self-estimation of mindfulness: A cross-sectional study with modified MAAS

TL;DR

This study found that Slovenian midwifery students have moderate mindfulness levels, which may affect their stress and future work quality.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into mindfulness levels among Slovenian midwifery students using a modified MAAS.

Findings

Midwifery students had an average MAAS score of 3.2, lower than scores in foreign nursing studies.

Second-year students had the lowest mindfulness scores.

Students who practiced mindfulness had higher scores than those who did not.

Abstract

We investigate the level of mindfulness among midwifery students, as mindfulness can have a major impact on their perception of stress and can increase the quality of their work after graduation.

A causal, non-experimental method of a cross-sectional study was used. We collected data using an online questionnaire that included a valid modified Mindful Attention Awareness Scale - MAAS. The sample consisted of Slovenian midwifery students in academic year 2022–2023.

Fifty-five Slovenian midwifery students (82% response rate) participated in the study. The average score of all midwifery students on the 5-Likert modified MAAS was 3.2, with the lowest average score among second-year students. Those students who practiced mindfulness techniques in their free time had higher average scores than those who did not.

The average MAAS score of our midwifery students was lower than in other foreign studies among nursing students. The study program should promote student mindfulness. This would benefit the graduates also later, when employed, as investing in midwives' well-being improves both their job satisfaction and women's experience of care. The Slovenian curriculum is often perceived as overwhelming by students. This might be the reason for their low mindfulness scores. Further analysis of the curriculum is needed to find solutions on how to integrate mindfulness techniques into the undergraduate curriculum.