Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Dental Students About COVID-19

Due to the CMO and CMCO in the country, public and private universities have activated the e-learning mode for classes and as the government ordered, universities are closed and no face-to-face activities allowed. This has forced students of all disciplines including dentistry to stay at home which are wide-spread across Malaysia and shift to e- learning mode. To guarantee the final success for fight against COVID-19, regardless of their education status, students' adherence to these control measures are essential, which is largely affected by their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 in accordance with KAP theory.9,10

Background:

In the KAP study conducted among residents in China, it was noticed that KAP scores were associated with a lower likelihood of negative attitudes and preventive practices towards COVID-2019. 1 Most Chinese residents of a relatively high socioeconomic status, in particular women, are knowledgeable about COVID-19, hold optimistic attitudes, and have appropriate practices towards COVID-19.1 Health education programs aimed at improving COVID-19 knowledge are helpful for Chinese residents to hold optimistic attitudes and maintain appropriate practices. 1 In a cross-sectional study among pregestational and pregnant women was conducted in Shaanxi, China, women at the periconceptional period in Shaanxi lacked the total KAP level of periconceptional healthcare, especially those who live in rural areas and have less education.11 Authors concluded that government agencies should reinforce more effective primary preventive measures and policies for the prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes.11 In a study aimed to assess the level of awareness, perception, and attitude regarding COVID-19 and infection control among Jordanian dentists, the authors concluded that Jordanian dentists were aware of COVID-19 symptoms, mode of transmission, and infection controls and measures in dental clinics. But dentists had limited comprehension of the extra precautionary measures that protect the dental staff and other patients from COVID-19. They also recommended that it would be best practice to send National and international guidelines established by the regional and national dental associations to all registered dentists during a crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure that dentists are well informed and aware of best practices and recommended disease management approaches.12 The outbreak of COVID‐19 was unprecedented and forced many universities to launch online courses to ensure the continuity of teaching-learning activities, with students staying at homes or dorms. It is a massive, challenging shift to move all the existing courses online in a matter of days. In general, a complete online course requires an elaborate lesson plan design, teaching materials such as audio and video contents, as well as technology support teams.13 Many academic institutions in Malaysia commit themselves to eLearning because they believe in its effectiveness as an alternative approach to the traditional classroom method of disseminating information.14 A study conducted on e-learning shows that higher education institutions in Malaysia offer more than 50% of their courses online. The data also shows that 13.8% of lecturers provide more than 80% online learning materials and that 44.6% of students prefer to read materials uploaded by their lecturers. The findings also show that students' preference for online courses is very encouraging. In fact, lecturers also agree that the integration of e-learning into their courses has benefited students. In general, it clearly shows that the application of e-learning is accepted by lecturers and students of HEIs as an effective means of communication.15 A national study was conducted to evaluate the self‐perceived preparedness of final‐year dental undergraduate students in dental public universities in Malaysia.16 The authors concluded that confidence and experience in some clinical skills, cognitive and behavioral attributes could be improved to facilitate their transition into independent dental practice after graduation. This is best possible in face-to-face teaching. So given this unprecedented situation, it will be best to assess the perception of dental students towards online teaching.1