Open AccessKnowledge, Attitude and Perception Regarding COVID-19 Infection Control: A Cross-Sectional Study among Dentists in Bangalore City, India
Author(s) -
Dr Manjusha P. Chandran,
AUTHOR_ID
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
international journal of medical science and clinical research studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2767-8342
pISSN - 2767-8326
DOI - 10.47191/ijmscrs/v2-i2-03
Subject(s) - cross sectional study , preparedness , infection control , medicine , family medicine , perception , covid-19 , risk perception , transmission (telecommunications) , computer assisted web interviewing , dentistry , psychology , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , business , electrical engineering , marketing , neuroscience , political science , law , engineering
Objectives: The dental profession is one of the occupations at the highest risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection because of the involvement of aerosol-generating procedures. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and perception of dentists regarding COVID19 infection control in Bangalore city. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among dentists in Bangalore city using an online questionnaire. The questions were related to socio-demographic data and the knowledge, attitude and perceptions of the dentists towards COVID-19 and infection control during dental practice. A sample size of 254 dentists was obtained after duration of 2 months. Descriptive statistics were performed and the data obtained were presented in the form of graphs and tables Results: The study included 254 participants (188 females and 66 males) majority of whom belonged to an age group of < 30 years (78.3%). A total of 209 (83.3%) of the study participants have completed a master’s degree in dentistry. Among 254 dentists, 141 (55.5%) of them had received training regarding infection control in dentistry while only 102 (40.2 %) of them had attended any training regarding COVID-19. Majority of the dentists were aware about the symptoms, modes of transmission, diagnosis, risk identification and important measures for prevention of COVID-19 transmission. Most of the dentists perceived COVID-19 as a serious public health issue (85.4%). Conclusions: The study has shown an acceptable level of awareness and preparedness among the dentists working in Bangalore city considering the aim of the study. However, SARS-CoV-2 infection is a novel disease and is yet to be fully explored. Adequate research has to be carried out to shed light on the unexplored areas regarding COVID-19 and infection control.