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Student Occupational Exposure Incidence: Perception Versus Reality
Author(s) -
Wood A. Jeffrey,
Nadershahi Nader A.,
Fredekind Richard E.,
Cuny Eve J.,
Chambers David W.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of dental education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1930-7837
pISSN - 0022-0337
DOI - 10.1002/j.0022-0337.2006.70.10.tb04181.x
Subject(s) - incidence (geometry) , occupational safety and health , medicine , occupational injury , perception , psychology , injury prevention , family medicine , poison control , medical emergency , physics , pathology , neuroscience , optics
Reports of clinical injuries made to a dental school Office of Occupational Health and Safety at the time of their occurrence were compared to self‐reports on a survey for dental students in five classes at various times over their educational careers. The majority of injuries were from needlesticks and mishaps with hand instruments. Underreporting at the time of injury was approximately one‐third in the first clinical year and one‐half in the final clinical year of the three‐year program. Students reported a greater perceived likelihood of injury later in their education than at the beginning but a decreased fear of such injuries. Female students reported more needlesticks and a greater fear of injury than did male students. It is hypothesized that a personal interpretation of the meaning of clinical injuries influences reporting behavior.