The Impact of Pandemic Management on the Quality of Life of Slovak Dentists

Veronika Pacutova, Andrea Madarasova Geckova, Peter Kizek, Andrea F. de Winter and Sijmen A. Reijneveld
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Veronika Pacutova: Department of Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Faculty of Medicine, P.J. Safarik University, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Andrea Madarasova Geckova: Department of Health Psychology and Research Methodology, Faculty of Medicine, P.J. Safarik University, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Peter Kizek: I. Stomatology clinic, University Hospital of Louis Pasteur, Faculty of Medicine, P.J. Safarik University, 040 11 Kosice, Slovakia
Andrea F. de Winter: Department of Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 Groningen, The Netherlands
Sijmen A. Reijneveld: Department of Community & Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 Groningen, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-9

Abstract: Pandemic management increases the burden on healthcare workers to provide care and also affects their personal lives, with dentists being at particular risk. Therefore, we aim to describe the quality of life (QoL) and limitations experienced due to pandemic management-related measures (PanMan), as well as to assess the association of PanMan with QoL during the first lockdown after the coronavirus outbreak. We obtained data from 500 dentists (33.2% males, M/SD = 43.8) registered with the Slovak Chamber of Dentists using an online questionnaire. We categorized PanMan as the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the ability to implement anti-pandemic measures, information overload, pandemic-related limitations and QoL in terms of their impact on family life and activities, housekeeping, relationships with relatives, financial situation and mental well-being. PanMan mainly affected financial situation, mental well-being and housekeeping. Factors contributing most towards the worsening of QoL were information overload (odds ratio/95% confidence interval, OR/CI: 5.79/2.64–12.71) and several pandemic-related limitations. These consisted of (OR/CI): a lack of PPE (5.17/2.48–10.77), infection risks in the work environment (3.06/1.57–5.95), obligatory safety measures (3.02/1.47–6.21), lack of staff (2.85/1.30–6.25) and client concerns (3.56/1.70–7.49). Pandemic management has led to a considerable worsening of dentists’ QoL.

Keywords: COVID-19; pandemic management; quality of life; dentists; healthcare workers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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