IADR Abstract Archives
Changes in Dental Environmental Stress With Home-Based Simulation Learning
Objectives: This study aims to determine stress levels among Oral Health Therapy (OHT) students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the change in stress levels among students before and after a Home-Based Simulation Learning (HBSL) program.
Methods: Following the announcement of school closures in May 2020, a HBSL program involving the use of portable manikins and instruments by Nanyang Polytechnic School of Health & Social Sciences (Oral Health Therapy) students and staff at home was implemented. A 38-item Dental Environmental Stress (DES) questionnaire was distributed to students immediately before and after the three-week HBSL program. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were carried out to assess changes in DES domains, and generalized estimating equations were used to assess factors associated with DES.
Results: A response rate of 98.6% (69 completed responses) was obtained.The top stressors among OHT students during the pandemic are examinations and grades, the fear of failing the course, and the fear of being unable to catch up. No statistically significant change in overall Dental Environmental Stress score was noted before and after HBSL, although there was an increase in stress levels in the Academic Work domain (p<0.01). Year 3 students had higher stress scores for the domains of Educational Environment (B = 1.07, 95% CI 0.81 – 1.34) and Academic Work (B = 1.17, 95% CI 0.85 – 1.49) as compared to Year 1 students. No statistically significant differences in stress levels were noted across genders, ethnicities and residence types.
Conclusions: In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures, stress levels among Oral Health Therapy students remained relatively stable following a Home-Based Simulation Learning program. Final-year students experience more dental environmental stress than first-year students.
Methods: Following the announcement of school closures in May 2020, a HBSL program involving the use of portable manikins and instruments by Nanyang Polytechnic School of Health & Social Sciences (Oral Health Therapy) students and staff at home was implemented. A 38-item Dental Environmental Stress (DES) questionnaire was distributed to students immediately before and after the three-week HBSL program. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were carried out to assess changes in DES domains, and generalized estimating equations were used to assess factors associated with DES.
Results: A response rate of 98.6% (69 completed responses) was obtained.The top stressors among OHT students during the pandemic are examinations and grades, the fear of failing the course, and the fear of being unable to catch up. No statistically significant change in overall Dental Environmental Stress score was noted before and after HBSL, although there was an increase in stress levels in the Academic Work domain (p<0.01). Year 3 students had higher stress scores for the domains of Educational Environment (B = 1.07, 95% CI 0.81 – 1.34) and Academic Work (B = 1.17, 95% CI 0.85 – 1.49) as compared to Year 1 students. No statistically significant differences in stress levels were noted across genders, ethnicities and residence types.
Conclusions: In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures, stress levels among Oral Health Therapy students remained relatively stable following a Home-Based Simulation Learning program. Final-year students experience more dental environmental stress than first-year students.