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Jafary Nodoushan Z, Pourrahimi N, Mehdipoor A, Akbari V, Alipour Nodoushan K. Measuring the COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors of Patients Referred to Dental Clinics in Qom, Iran. Qom Univ Med Sci J 2024; 18 : 24.62
URL: http://journal.muq.ac.ir/article-1-3773-en.html
URL: http://journal.muq.ac.ir/article-1-3773-en.html
Zahra Jafary Nodoushan1 
, Nafiseh Pourrahimi2 , Aida Mehdipoor3 , Valiollah Akbari4 , Khadijeh Alipour Nodoushan * 5
, Nafiseh Pourrahimi2 , Aida Mehdipoor3 , Valiollah Akbari4 , Khadijeh Alipour Nodoushan * 5
1- Research Center for Prevention of Oral and Dental Diseases, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2- Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
3- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
4- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Nekouei-Hedayati-Forghani Hospital, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
5- Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. ,alipour@muq.ac.ir
2- Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
3- Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
4- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Nekouei-Hedayati-Forghani Hospital, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
5- Department of Medical Informatics, School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. ,
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Introduction
Many dental procedures cause the creation of airborne particles and droplets infected with the COVID-19 virus. Therefore, people’s fear of COVID-19 infection, due to its rapid transmission, reduced visits to dental clinics. Dental clinic visitors are at serious risk due to contact and exposure to saliva, blood and other body fluids and the use of sharp instruments. Dental professionals play an important role in preventing the transmission of COVID-19.
Considering that the treatment of COVID-19 is expensive, public education and self-care guidelines have a significant impact on the control and prevention of this disease. The patients referred to dental centers should undergo screening tests and social distancing should be observed by them. The most important measures recommended by the centers for disease control and prevention for COVID-19 prevention include avoiding contact with infected people, objects or surfaces, washing hands regularly, disinfecting surfaces and objects, covering the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, staying at home, and wearing masks. Due to the necessity of preventive behaviors against COVID-19, surveying the awareness and practice of people in this field is important. In this regard and considering the paucity of research in this field, this study aims to measure the preventive behaviors of patients referred to dental clinics in Qom, Iran against COVID-19.
Methods
This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 on 224 people visited dental clinics in Qom, who were selected by random and convenience sampling methods. Inclusion criterion was willingness to participate in the study. Exclusion criterion was the incomplete return of questionnaire. The tool for collecting information was a researcher-made questionnaire surveying demographic characteristics of participants (10 items) and assessing their knowledge of incubation period, symptoms, transmission method and their preventive behaviors against COVID-19 (34 items), based on Likert scale as “always”, “often”, “sometimes”, “rarely” and “never”. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 20 using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results
The mean age of the participants was 36.53±13.85. The majority of them were female (66.1%), married (65.6%), and housekeeper (48%), with high school education or higher level (57.6%).
In response to the items of washing hands before eating (94.1%) and using handkerchiefs to cover coughs and sneezes (92.8%), the most frequent answer was “always”. There was a significant negative correlation between the behavior score and age (P=0.029, r=-0.147); with increasing age, the preventive behaviors against COVID-19 decreases. The mean scores of males and females were 69.06 and 64.71, respectively. According to independent t-test results, this differences was significant (P=0.011). The difference in preventive behavior scores was not significant based on the marital status.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 prevention behaviors of people referred to dental clinics in Qom city was at a favorable level. With the increase of age, the preventive behaviors decreased.
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran (Code: IR.MUQ.REC.1399.221).
Funding
This research did not receive any grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or non-profit sectors.
Authors contributions
All authors equally contributed to preparing this article.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Many dental procedures cause the creation of airborne particles and droplets infected with the COVID-19 virus. Therefore, people’s fear of COVID-19 infection, due to its rapid transmission, reduced visits to dental clinics. Dental clinic visitors are at serious risk due to contact and exposure to saliva, blood and other body fluids and the use of sharp instruments. Dental professionals play an important role in preventing the transmission of COVID-19.
Considering that the treatment of COVID-19 is expensive, public education and self-care guidelines have a significant impact on the control and prevention of this disease. The patients referred to dental centers should undergo screening tests and social distancing should be observed by them. The most important measures recommended by the centers for disease control and prevention for COVID-19 prevention include avoiding contact with infected people, objects or surfaces, washing hands regularly, disinfecting surfaces and objects, covering the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, staying at home, and wearing masks. Due to the necessity of preventive behaviors against COVID-19, surveying the awareness and practice of people in this field is important. In this regard and considering the paucity of research in this field, this study aims to measure the preventive behaviors of patients referred to dental clinics in Qom, Iran against COVID-19.
Methods
This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 on 224 people visited dental clinics in Qom, who were selected by random and convenience sampling methods. Inclusion criterion was willingness to participate in the study. Exclusion criterion was the incomplete return of questionnaire. The tool for collecting information was a researcher-made questionnaire surveying demographic characteristics of participants (10 items) and assessing their knowledge of incubation period, symptoms, transmission method and their preventive behaviors against COVID-19 (34 items), based on Likert scale as “always”, “often”, “sometimes”, “rarely” and “never”. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 20 using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results
The mean age of the participants was 36.53±13.85. The majority of them were female (66.1%), married (65.6%), and housekeeper (48%), with high school education or higher level (57.6%).
In response to the items of washing hands before eating (94.1%) and using handkerchiefs to cover coughs and sneezes (92.8%), the most frequent answer was “always”. There was a significant negative correlation between the behavior score and age (P=0.029, r=-0.147); with increasing age, the preventive behaviors against COVID-19 decreases. The mean scores of males and females were 69.06 and 64.71, respectively. According to independent t-test results, this differences was significant (P=0.011). The difference in preventive behavior scores was not significant based on the marital status.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 prevention behaviors of people referred to dental clinics in Qom city was at a favorable level. With the increase of age, the preventive behaviors decreased.
Ethical Considerations
Compliance with ethical guidelines
This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran (Code: IR.MUQ.REC.1399.221).
Funding
This research did not receive any grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or non-profit sectors.
Authors contributions
All authors equally contributed to preparing this article.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Type of Study: Original Article |
Subject:
آموزش بهداشت
Received: 2023/07/9 | Accepted: 2024/04/21 | Published: 2024/04/29
Received: 2023/07/9 | Accepted: 2024/04/21 | Published: 2024/04/29
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