King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia.
College of Dentistry, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh 14611, Saudi Arabia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 2;19(23):16126. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192316126.
Background: Efforts to evaluate physicians’ awareness and attitude toward dentists’ comprehensive role in OSA management are relatively negligible. Therefore, this study aimed to assess physicians’ awareness and attitude toward the role of dentists in OSA management in Saudi Arabia. Methods: In a multi-center cross-sectional study, a total of 358 physicians in Saudi Arabia were subjected to an e-questionnaire composed of three sections: (1) physicians’ demographic data, (2) physicians’ general and specific knowledge of OSA and its management [using 29 factual statements to be responded by “True, False, or I don’t know” responses], and (3) physicians’ attitude towards dentists’ role in OSA management [using 12 attitude statements to be responded by a Likert scale of “Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Usually, Always” responses]. A scoring system was applied for both knowledge and attitude, total and percentage mean scores (PMS) were calculated, and knowledge and attitude levels were categorized accordingly. Predictors of correct knowledge and favorable attitude were identified using multiple regression analyses. Results: Physicians had an overall average knowledge level (PMS = 56% ± 19.4%), with 35.5% and 5.9% reporting good general and specific knowledge levels, respectively (χ2 = 143.0, p < 0.001). Physicians had an overall neutral attitude level (PMS = 64.4% ± 17.5%), with about one-half reporting a neutral attitude level (48.9%) and only one-fourth reporting a positive attitude level (27.7%). Higher levels of knowledge were a significant predictor of favorable attitudes (t = 5.71, p < 0.001). Higher training levels were a significant predictor of correct knowledge (t = 3.60, p < 0.001) and favorable attitude (t = 3.15, p = 0.002). Conclusions: Physicians showed insufficient knowledge about OSA and a less than favorable attitude towards dentists’ role in its management. Enhancing medical curricula and clinical protocols and guidelines on the dentists’ role in OSA management is recommended.
评估医生对牙医在 OSA 管理中全面作用的意识和态度的努力相对较少。因此，本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯医生对牙医在 OSA 管理中作用的认识和态度。
在一项多中心横断面研究中，对沙特阿拉伯的 358 名医生进行了电子问卷调查，问卷由三部分组成：（1）医生的人口统计学数据；（2）医生对 OSA 及其管理的一般和具体知识[使用 29 个事实陈述，用“是、否、不知道”回答]；（3）医生对牙医在 OSA 管理中作用的态度[使用 12 个态度陈述，用“从不、很少、有时、经常、总是”回答的李克特量表]。为知识和态度应用了评分系统，计算了总分和百分比平均值（PMS），并根据相应的知识和态度水平进行了分类。使用多元回归分析确定正确知识和有利态度的预测因素。
医生的总体平均知识水平（PMS=56%±19.4%），其中 35.5%和 5.9%分别报告了良好的一般和具体知识水平（χ2=143.0，p<0.001）。医生的总体态度水平为中性（PMS=64.4%±17.5%），约有一半医生报告态度水平为中性（48.9%），只有四分之一医生报告态度水平为积极（27.7%）。较高的知识水平是有利态度的显著预测因素（t=5.71，p<0.001）。较高的培训水平是正确知识（t=3.60，p<0.001）和有利态度（t=3.15，p=0.002）的显著预测因素。
医生对 OSA 的了解不足，对牙医在其管理中的作用持不赞成的态度。建议加强医学课程以及关于牙医在 OSA 管理中作用的临床方案和指南。
