Assessment of COVID-19 Infection Control Awareness, Attitudes, and Performance Among Dentists in Designated Clinics in Tehran

Abstract

Introduction: The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, emphasizing the ongoing importance of understanding and managing infections. Dentists, facing a direct infection risk, require proper training, making an educational needs assessment essential to address knowledge gaps. Material & Methods: A comprehensive questionnaire assessing COVID-19 awareness, attitude, and performance among dentists was developed and validated. Administered to 181 participants in Tehran, the data underwent quantitative analysis using nonparametric tests. Results: Participants (98 men, 86 women) from healthcare centers in Tehran, with a mean age of 44 and 15.29 years of service, scored averages of 51.97, 77.01, and 61.92 in awareness, attitude, and performance, respectively. Significantly, the study revealed a relationship between years of service plus age and awareness scores. Gender also played a role, with men exhibiting higher performance mean values. Conclusion: The study highlights the imperative for interventions to boost dentists' knowledge. Recommendations include workshops and informational brochures to enhance awareness and performance, particularly in the context of emerging pandemics.

Keywords

• attitude
• awareness
• covid-19
• dentist
• performance