Dr Zahra Momeni, Dr Mohammad Hesari, Dr Azadeh Babaei,
Volume 14, Issue 1 (12-2024)
Abstract
Introduction The oral cavity is one of the first areas affected by smoking, with numerous harmful effects. To enhance dental students' understanding of these impacts, an optional course titled “Smoking and Oral Health” was introduced in the revised national dental curriculum. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of this educational intervention on dental students' knowledge and attitudes regarding the side effects of smoking and smoking cessation.
Materials & Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 31 sixth-year dental students from Alborz University of Medical Sciences participated in the online "Smoking and Oral Health" course. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire that addressed demographic information, knowledge, and attitudes about the side effects of smoking (7 and 13 questions, respectively) and smoking cessation (6 and 10 questions, respectively). Participants completed the online questionnaire before and after the course. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-22, with significance set at p<0.05.
Results: Among the 31 participants, 16 (51.6%) were female and 15 (48.4%) were male, with a mean age of 24.7±3.1 years. After the intervention, the knowledge score regarding the side effects of smoking significantly increased (before: 81.54±2.18, after: 93.10±1.14; p=0.002). The attitude score also improved significantly (before: 76.82±8.89, after: 86.15±6.83; P<0.001). Additionally, knowledge regarding smoking cessation showed a substantial increase (before: 23.65±9.15, after: 40.23±5.86; p<0.001), with the increased score after the intervention (65.6±5.36) being significantly higher than before (62.6±2.14; P=0.042).
Conclusion: The “Smoking and Oral Health” course is essential for dental students. The intervention significantly enhanced their knowledge and attitudes toward smoking control and cessation.
