Digital Assessment of the Knowledge, Attitudes and Preparedness of Dentists towards Providing Dental Treatment to People Living with HIV in Northern Brazil

Ricardo Roberto de Souza Fonseca, Rogério Valois Laurentino, Silvio Augusto Fernandes de Menezes, Aldemir Branco Oliveira-Filho, Paula Cristina Rodrigues Frade, Roberta Pimentel de Oliveira and Luiz Fernando Almeida Machado ()
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Ricardo Roberto de Souza Fonseca: Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents Post-Graduate Program, Federal University of Para, Belem 66075-110, PA, Brazil
Rogério Valois Laurentino: Virology Laboratory, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Para, Belem 66075-110, PA, Brazil
Silvio Augusto Fernandes de Menezes: School of Dentistry, University Center of State of Para, Belem 66060-575, PA, Brazil
Aldemir Branco Oliveira-Filho: Study and Research Group on Vulnerable Populations, Institute for Coastal Studies, Federal University of Para, Belem 68600-000, PA, Brazil
Paula Cristina Rodrigues Frade: Tropical Medicine Nucleus, Federal University of Para, Belem 66075-110, PA, Brazil
Roberta Pimentel de Oliveira: School of Dentistry, Federal University of Para, Belem 66075-110, PA, Brazil
Luiz Fernando Almeida Machado: Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents Post-Graduate Program, Federal University of Para, Belem 66075-110, PA, Brazil

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 19, 1-17

Abstract: People living with HIV (PLWH) continue to face stigma and discrimination during dental treatment in Brazil. This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic, educational and professional characteristics of dentists working in the Northern Brazilian region and to identify the level of knowledge of these health professionals in relation to the care and management of PLWH using a digital form. Methods: This cross-sectional study was population-based among dentists and was conducted between July and December 2021. A total of 396 dentists were invited using the “snowball” sampling technique and received an anonymous digital form (Google ® Forms platform) composed of four blocks of dichotomous and multiple-choice questions. After signing the informed consent form, dentists were divided into seven groups according to the amount of time that had passed (in years) since they had completed their bachelor’s degree in dentistry. A total of 25 questions referring to sociodemographic, educational and professional factors and knowledge about the dental care of PLWH were asked, and all data were presented as descriptive percentages and then analyzed using the Kappa test. Results: The average age was 31.9 years, and the states of Pará and Amazonas presented better knowledge about the dental care of PLWH. Dental prostheses (62/381-16.3%), orthodontics (57/381-15%) and periodontics (56/381-14.7%) were the most cited dental specialties, and demographic, professional and epidemiological characteristics showed a statistically significant difference regarding knowledge (<0.0001). Conclusions: The knowledge of dentists in Northern Brazil is partially high, although there is some lack of knowledge about the dental care of PLWH.

Keywords: dental education; health knowledge; dentistry; HIV; stigmatization; PLWHA (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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