Information and Communication Technology Use Among Australian Oral Health Students

Objectives: To describe the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by oral health profession students in Victoria and South Australia. Methods: Data were collected during the 2009-2010 academic years via electronic survey. The instrument consisted of three sections: socio-demographics; career choice; and experience with ICT. Results: Out of 1138 students studying in South Australian and Victorian dental schools, 740 (65.0%) participated in this study, response rate of 65%. The majority were dental students (n=609) with 131 studying a Bachelor of Oral Health. The average age of the participants was 21.4 years, with ages ranging from 18 to 51 years. The majority of respondents were female (62.0%), and the largest proportion last attended a public secondary school (49.8%), and reported an urban address (43.1%). The majority of respondents had home internet access (87.3%) and no barriers to accessing the internet (87.2%). The internet was accessed, at least once a week, by the majority for general purposes (93.5%) and for study purposes (84.2%). The daily use of mobile technology was also high. Nonetheless, it was found that thirty-nine students (5.9%) were not users of ICT or mobile technology. A logistic regression analysis indicated that those studying in Victoria (OR=0.46; 95% CI 0.21-0.99), and those who had access to internet at home (OR=0.79; 95% CI 0.65-0.95) were less likely to be non-users. Of interest was the finding that students who identified as being of Asian background were more likely to be in this non-user group (OR=2.97; 95% CI 1.13-7.83). Conclusions: These results represent a preliminary evaluation of ICT use among oral health profession students in Australia. It seems that a digital divide exists among oral health professions students. The implications of this are even more profound if we accept that all students should have free access to computers and internet use.