Exploring the knowledge, awareness and practices of COVID-19 among dentists in Bangladesh: A Cross-sectional Investigation.

Mohammad Tawfique Hossain Chowdhury; Ehsanul Hoque Apu; Sujan Kanti Nath; Ashek Elahi Noor; Clopa Pina Podder; Ilias Mahmud; Russell Kabir

doi:10.17126/joralres.2021.035

Mohammad Tawfique Hossain Chowdhury Department of Dental Public Health, Sapporo Dental College, Dhaka 1230, Bangladesh.
Ehsanul Hoque Apu Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Quantitative Health Science (IQ), Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA.
Sujan Kanti Nath Department of Dental Public Health, Sapporo Dental College, Dhaka 1230, Bangladesh.
Ashek Elahi Noor Department of Dental Public Health, Sapporo Dental College, Dhaka 1230, Bangladesh.
Clopa Pina Podder Department of Dental Public Health, Sapporo Dental College, Dhaka 1230, Bangladesh.
Ilias Mahmud Department of Public Health, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, Qassim University, Al Bukairiyah, Saudi Arabia.
Russell Kabir School of Allied Health, Anglia Ruskin University, Essex, UK.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17126/joralres.2021.035

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unpre-cedented strike on humanity around the world . The scenario in Bangladesh is getting worse day by day, and every aspect of the society is observing its impact. Health care professionals are at a greater risk of contracting the disease while caring for patients. Objective: The research objective is to explore knowledge, awareness, and practices of registered dentists regarding COVID-19 epidemiology and transmission during the rapid outbreak of this highly contagious virus in Bangladesh. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among the dentists who were enrolled with their valid unique Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) registration number. A structured questionnaire was distributed among the dentists through different social media platforms. A total of 184 dentists participated in the survey between March and April 2020. Both descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: The dentists' mean age was 31.75 years, with a standard deviation of 6.5 years. About 29.3% of dentists completed their postgraduate qualification, and 76% of them were engaged in private practice at the time of data collection. Compared to the dentists with undergraduate education, the dentists with a postgraduate education are three times (OR=3.1, 95%CI 1.2-7.9 and over 5 times (OR=5.3, 95% CI: 1.2-23.3) more likely to have) better knowledge and practices toward COVID-19 respectively. Dentists aged 26-30 years are less likely to have good practices than the younger dentists (OR: .1; 95% CI: .01-.5). However, dentists with less than five years experience are 10.3 (1.6-68.9) times more likely to have good practices compared to the dentists with more experience. Conclusion: Majority of the dentists from Bangladesh have shown good knowledge, awareness, and practice regarding COVID-19. We recommend that the healthcare authorities, professional organizations, and hospitals coordinate, and conduct mandatory advanced infectious disease training for all the practicing dentists in the country.

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