[The sense of coherence among university students: a resource for care in times of pandemicSenso de coerencia nos estudantes universitários: um recurso para o cuidado em tempos de pandemias].

Abstract

Introduction: The construct of the sense of coherence, derived from the salutogenic model, allows people to cope with stressors through resources to maintain good health.

Objective: To describe the sense of coherence (SOC-29) among university students in the city of Manizales as a care resource in times of pandemic.

Materials and methods: A quantitative and descriptive study with an associative-comparative phase was conducted with 566 students enrolled in public and private universities in Manizales, Caldas, (Colombia), during the first semester of 2021. The data collection technique was online surveys. For the univariate analysis, frequency distribution and central tendency and dispersion measures were determined. For bivariate analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Chi-square test were used.

Results: The SOC-29 score ranged from 58 to 185 points (mean 133.6 ± 24.4 points), and 27% of the participants reported that the pandemic negatively affected their life, a statistically significant association (p<0.05) was found between the change in living conditions and all the items of the scale.

Conclusions: Consolidating the sense of coherence as an integral part of university students' mental health prepares them to cope with changes in their living conditions and makes it feasible to direct care actions in social, family, and academic settings.