Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Dentists in Caribbean Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorBalkaran, R.
dc.contributor.authorBhat, M.
dc.contributor.authorMarchan, S.
dc.contributor.authorSmith, W.
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected dentists globally, both financially and mentally. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices of dentists in Caribbean countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A non-probability sample was obtained from dentists in more than ten different Caribbean countries. They were invited to complete a self-reported questionnaire, which was conducted from December 2020 to March 2021. Ethics approval was sought and an exemption was received from the UWI ethics committee. Results: One hundred and fifty-two dentists responded. More than one-third (38.8%) were in the >35–45 age group, and 58.6% were females. Most (84.9%) were general dentists and 75% were stressed by the COVID-19 situation with 80.9% being affected financially. The majority, 94.7%, believed that the highest risk of transmission of COVID-19 was via aerosol-generating procedures and 87.5% were worried about contracting it clinically. The majority (69.1%) were willing to receive the vaccine, the main reason reported for vaccine hesitancy was due to the possible side effects (35.3%). Most (75%) consumed alcohol. When the locus of control was determined, 54.6% felt they were in control of protecting themselves while 52% felt that external factors controlled their lives. Conclusions: The findings suggest that most dentists in the Caribbean were knowledgeable about COVID-19 and followed current guidelines in their practice and were willing to receive the vaccine.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityRamaa Balkaran, Meghashyam Bhat, Shivaughn Marchan, and William Smith
dc.identifier.citationDentistry Journal, 2021; 9(11):133-1-133-15
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/dj9110133
dc.identifier.issn2304-6767
dc.identifier.issn2304-6767
dc.identifier.orcidBhat, M. [0000-0001-5243-7560]
dc.identifier.orcidSmith, W. [0000-0001-9640-1172] [0000-0002-4610-998X]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/146490
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherMDPI AG
dc.rights© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.3390/dj9110133
dc.subjectCOVID-19; Caribbean; dentists; knowledge; practice
dc.titleKnowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Dentists in Caribbean Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
hdl_146490.pdf
Size:
706.77 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Published version
Download

Collections

Research Outputs