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CC BY 4.0 · European Journal of General Dentistry
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1791845
Original Article

Knowledge of Dental Students about the Association between Periodontal Bacteria and Obesity and Their Attitude toward Obese Patients

Ahmed Hashim 
1   Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
› Author Affiliations Funding This research was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research, Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, KFU, KSA.
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Abstract

Objective Periodontal disease (PD) and obesity are associated and highly prevalent in both developed and developing countries. This study aims to assess dental students' and interns' knowledge about the association and mechanism linking both conditions, as well as predict attitudes toward providing advice and treatment to obese patients.

Materials and Methods One hundred and ten participants, mean age 22.65 years, completed self-administered questionnaires. The survey consisted of 25 items, divided into 5 sections. Participants'responses were evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale.

Statistical Analysis The data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 for descriptive, correlation and regression analysis of the variables.

Results Over 62% of the participants agreed that they gained knowledge about the association between PD and obesity. Furthermore, they understood that the bidirectional link is initiated and driven by gram-negative bacteria and inflammation (75%). Over 50% of the participants showed a positive attitude toward obese patients. In contrast, many of the participants (57%) exhibited signs of stereotyping toward obese individuals, and 69% of the respondents were deficient in peer-assisted learning.

Conclusion Incorporating obesity education, peer-assisted learning, and stigma-free competency skills into the dental curriculum is crucial for enhancing attitudes towards obese patients.

Keywords

periodontal disease - obesity - gram-negative bacteria - dental students - knowledge - attitude

Informed Consent Statement

All participants in this study provided informed consent. This study has been granted a formal ethics certificate with the approval number KFU-REC/2021-01 by the Research Ethics Committee, Deanship of Scientific Research, KFU.


Data Availability

The data of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.




Publication History

Article published online:
18 November 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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