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Distance learning during social seclusion by COVID‐19: Improving the quality of life of undergraduate dentistry students
Author(s) -
Silva Paulo Goberlânio de Barros,
Oliveira Carlos Alysson Lima,
Borges Marcela Maria Fontes,
Moreira Danna Mota,
Alencar Phillipe Nogueira Barbosa,
Avelar Rafael Linard,
Bitu Sousa Renata Mota Rodrigues,
Sousa Fabrício Bitu
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
european journal of dental education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.583
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1600-0579
pISSN - 1396-5883
DOI - 10.1111/eje.12583
Subject(s) - social isolation , quality of life (healthcare) , cronbach's alpha , loneliness , psychology , clinical psychology , isolation (microbiology) , medicine , gerontology , social psychology , nursing , psychiatry , psychometrics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Background Social isolation is ongoing worldwide with the aim to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 responsible for the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, social isolation leads to significant psycho‐emotional changes. This study aimed to assess the effect of distance education (DE) activities implemented due to social isolation, on the quality of life of undergraduate dentistry students. Method An e ‐questionnaire (Google Forms ® ) was administered to identify specific DE activities after social isolation and included the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)‐Bref questionnaire. The e ‐questionnaire was sent 14 days after the initiation of social isolation, remaining available for 48 hours. Cronbach's alpha and the means of the quality‐of‐life domains were calculated and analysed using the Friedman/Dunn and Spearman's correlation tests. After ranking, chi‐squared and Fisher's exact tests plus multinomial logistic regression were performed (SPSS, P < .05). Result There was an excellent internal consistency of WHOQOL‐Bref (α = 0.916), and the mean quality of life (0‐100) was 70.66 ± 12.61. The psychological domain was the most affected ( P < .001). The social domain exhibited the weakest correlation with overall quality of life ( P < .001, r = 0.688). The use of the Internet, cell phones and streaming media increased, although all students had DE activities. In the multivariate analysis, attending virtual meetings ( P = .028) and performing DE activities in an office/study room ( P = .034) were significantly associated with good quality of life. Conclusion Facing social isolation never previously experienced by this generation, undergraduate dentistry students are at risk of reduced quality of life. Therefore, performing DE activities through devices with teacher‐student interaction is a key coping tool.