Attitudes Toward Community Service Among Higher Health Sciences Students

University Social Responsibility (USR) integrates academic goals with ethics, civic engagement, and sustainability. This study assessed community service attitudes among 529 higher health sciences students using the Portuguese Community Service Attitudes Scale. Although 52.9% reported prior volunteer experience, 75.2% had not participated in community service during university. An association was found between academic programme and prior involvement, particularly among Dental Medicine and Physiotherapy students. While no sex differences were observed, programme-specific trends suggest that practical training fosters stronger civic responsibility. Integrating structured, discipline-specific community service into curricula may enhance civic identity and better align education with sustainable development goals.