Dataset Information

Awareness of COVID 19 pandemic among dental practioners of Telangana state, India: A cross sectional survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern. The dental professionals are considered to be at high risk, as most of the treatments may lead to the spread of infection due to direct proximity with saliva, blood and aerosols generation.

Aim

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the awareness, regarding COVID19 pandemic among dental practioners in state of Telangana.

Materials and methodology

A self-administered, structured, pilot-tested close-ended 20 point questionnaire,was distributed among the dental practioners in Telangana state. A total of 385 participants completed the questionnaire. Data obtained was analyzed using SPSS 22.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) for data analysis.

Results

Among 385 participants a total of 115 (29.9%) exhibited high level of knowledge while 167 (43.4%) demonstrated moderate knowledge and 103 (26.8%) demonstrated low level of knowledge. Mean knowledge score was 12.46 ± 2.47, minimum and maximum scores were 5 and 15 respectively among the dental practioners (DPs).

Conclusion

All the respondents seem to have adequate knowledge regarding COVID19 and adoption of control measures to prevent the spread of COVID19. However, some deficiencies were noted. The, dentists, must be well informed of the recommended practices.Initiatives for attending webinars, continuing dental education programs on COVID19, have to be undertaken to keep them selves updated and be prepared with extra precautionary measures to be taken.

SUBMITTER: Kanaparthi A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7422899 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a serious concern among the global medical community and has resulted in an unprecedented psychological impact on health care workers, who were already working under stressful conditions.ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to evaluate and measure the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anxiety levels and sleep quality among health care workers in India, as well as to determine how the unavailability of personal protective equipment affects their willingness to provide patient-related care.MethodsWe conducted an online cross-sectional study using piloted, structured questionnaires with self-reported responses from 368 volunteer male and female health care workers in India. Study participants were identified through social networking platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. The survey evaluated the participants' degree of signs and symptoms of anxiety and sleep quality based on the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale and single-item Sleep Quality Scale, respectively. Information on the availability of personal protective equipment was collected based on responses to relevant survey questions.ResultsThe majority of health care workers (126/368, 34.2%) were in the age group 45-60 years, and 52.2% (192/368) were doctors. Severe anxiety (ie, GAD-7 score >10) was observed among 7.3% (27/368) health care workers, whereas moderate, mild, and minimal anxiety was observed among 12.5% (46/368), 29.3% (108/368), and 50.8% (187/368) health care workers, respectively. Moreover, 31.5% (116/368) of the health care workers had poor-to-fair sleep quality (ie, scores <6). Univariate analysis showed female gender and inadequate availability of personal protective equipment was significantly associated with higher anxiety levels (P=.01 for both). Sleep disturbance was significantly associated with age <30 years (P=.04) and inadequate personal protective equipment (P<.001). Multivariable analysis showed that poorer quality of sleep was associated with higher anxiety levels (P<.001).ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic has potentially caused significant levels of anxiety and sleep disturbances among health care workers, particularly associated with the female gender, younger age group, and inadequate availability of personal protective equipment. These factors put health care workers at constant risk of contracting the infection themselves or transmitting it to their families. Early identification of at-risk health care workers and implementation of situation-tailored mitigation measures could help alleviate the risk of long-term, serious psychological sequelae as well as reduce current anxiety levels among health care workers.