Preventive Dentistry Department, College of Dentistry, Riyadh Elm University, 11681, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
BMC Med Educ. 2024 Mar 6;24(1):246. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-05238-z.
BACKGROUND: Despite the updated guidelines on dental impression disinfection protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, adherence to such procedures has not been studied among dental health professionals in Saudi Arabia. Understanding DHPs' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 is crucial in assessing a willingness to adhere to the recommendations provided by health authorities in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 via dental impressions impacting patient safety and infection control measures. Hence, this study aimed to assess dental health professionals' (DHPs) knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward dental impression disinfection protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted from 14 December 2022 to 21 March 2023 among practicing dentists, dental assistants (DA), dental laboratory technicians (DT), and dental hygienists in Saudi Arabia. A validated and reliable questionnaire that consisted of 38 items along with demographic variables was prepared to collect the data. Using Google Forms, a questionnaire link was prepared and shared on the social media platforms of DHPs in Saudi Arabia. A descriptive analysis was conducted to report the percentages and frequencies. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were analyzed using an Independent t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation tests. RESULTS: A total of 718 DHPs voluntarily participated in the survey. Most of the DHPs exhibited average knowledge 392 (54.6%), neutral attitudes 393(54.7%), and adequate 549 (76.5%) practice towards dental impression disinfection protocol. The mean knowledge score differed significantly across nationality (p = 0.013), type of DHPs (p < 0.001), qualification (p = 0.045), and experience (p = 0.028) of the study participants. Significant differences in attitude towards impression disinfection were observed in different age groups (p = 0.002), qualifications (p = 0.015), and experiences (p = 0.024) of the DHPs. Similarly, practice varied across different age groups (p = 0.010), nationality (p = 0.013), type of DHPs (p = 0.019), qualification (p = 0.044), experience (p = 0.041), and COVID-19 Infection (p = 0.006). Moreover, a significant positive correlation between knowledge-attitude (r = 0.258, p < 0.01), knowledge-practice (r = 0.283, p < 0.01), and attitude-practice (r = 0.196, p < 0.01) was observed. CONCLUSION: DHPs considered in this study demonstrated average knowledge and attitudes toward impression disinfection, requiring improvement through continuous dental education and training. However, they displayed acceptable dental impression disinfection practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is highly recommended that continuing education programs should mainly reinforce the knowledge of sodium hypochlorite, iodophor, and phenolics and their concentrations to be used as an impression disinfectant. Additionally, it should focus on techniques of disinfecting elastomeric, hydrocolloid, zinc oxide and eugenol, and impression compound materials to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 based on Saudi ministry of health guidelines.
背景:尽管在 COVID-19 大流行期间更新了牙科印模消毒协议指南,但在沙特阿拉伯的牙科保健专业人员中,这种程序的遵守情况尚未得到研究。了解牙科保健专业人员(DHPs)对 COVID-19 的知识、态度和实践情况对于评估他们是否愿意遵守卫生当局提供的建议以减轻 COVID-19 通过牙科印模传播的风险至关重要,这会影响患者的安全和感染控制措施。因此,本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯牙科保健专业人员(DHPs)在 COVID-19 大流行期间对牙科印模消毒协议的知识、态度和实践(KAP)。
方法:使用在线调查于 2022 年 12 月 14 日至 2023 年 3 月 21 日在沙特阿拉伯的执业牙医、牙科助理(DA)、牙科实验室技术员(DT)和牙科保健员中进行了一项横断面研究。准备了一个经过验证和可靠的问卷,其中包含 38 个项目以及人口统计学变量,以收集数据。使用 Google Forms 准备了一个问卷链接,并在沙特阿拉伯的 DHPs 社交媒体平台上共享。使用描述性分析报告百分比和频率。使用独立 t 检验、方差分析和 Pearson 相关检验分析平均知识、态度和实践得分。
结果:共有 718 名 DHPs 自愿参加了调查。大多数 DHPs 在牙科印模消毒协议方面表现出平均知识(392 名,54.6%)、中性态度(393 名,54.7%)和足够的实践(549 名,76.5%)。知识得分在国籍(p=0.013)、DHPs 类型(p<0.001)、资格(p=0.045)和经验(p=0.028)方面存在显著差异。在印象消毒方面的态度也存在显著差异不同年龄组(p=0.002)、资格(p=0.015)和经验(p=0.024)的 DHPs。同样,实践在不同年龄组(p=0.010)、国籍(p=0.013)、DHPs 类型(p=0.019)、资格(p=0.044)、经验(p=0.041)和 COVID-19 感染(p=0.006)方面存在差异。此外,知识-态度(r=0.258,p<0.01)、知识-实践(r=0.283,p<0.01)和态度-实践(r=0.196,p<0.01)之间存在显著正相关。
结论:本研究中考虑的 DHPs 在印象消毒方面表现出平均的知识和态度,需要通过持续的牙科教育和培训来提高。然而,他们在 COVID-19 大流行期间表现出了可接受的牙科印象消毒实践。强烈建议继续教育计划主要加强对次氯酸钠、碘化物和酚类及其要使用的浓度的了解作为印象消毒剂。此外,它应侧重于消毒弹性体、水胶体、氧化锌和丁香酚以及印象化合物材料的技术,以根据沙特卫生部的指南减轻 COVID-19 的传播。
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