Measuring Empathy among Dental Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study from Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Objective. To evaluate empathy and its related factors among undergraduate dental students and interns enrolled in a public dental college in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study used the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students (JSE-HPS) version to de...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Dentistry |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5584423 |
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| author | Muhammad Nazir Muhanad Alhareky Abdulrahman Alqahtani Leenah Alsulaimi Reema Alotaibi Najwa Yousef Fatimah Abushal Jehan Alhumaid |
| author_facet | Muhammad Nazir Muhanad Alhareky Abdulrahman Alqahtani Leenah Alsulaimi Reema Alotaibi Najwa Yousef Fatimah Abushal Jehan Alhumaid |
| author_sort | Muhammad Nazir |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective. To evaluate empathy and its related factors among undergraduate dental students and interns enrolled in a public dental college in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study used the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students (JSE-HPS) version to determine empathy in 362 dental students and interns in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The JSE-HPS is a 20-item 7-point Likert scale questionnaire, and its score ranges from 20 to 140 with high values indicating increased empathy. Influences of age, gender, class year, previous year’s grade point average (GPA), educational attainment of parents, and monthly family income on empathy were evaluated. Results. Of 501 enrolled students and interns, 362 returned completed questionnaires, and the response rate of the study was 72%. The sample’s empathy score (JSPE-HPS scale) ranged from 70 to 129 with a mean of 96.75 (±13.76). Most participants believed that empathy is important for effective communication with patients (96.1%) and can improve the provider-patient relationship (95.6%). Females demonstrated a significantly higher mean empathy score (99.98 ± 14.01) than males (92.72 ± 12.35) (P<0.001). Similarly, the participants with high GPA (98.06 ± 13.69) had significantly greater mean empathy scores than those with low GPA (94.84 ± 13.68) (P=0.029). The mean empathy score increased significantly from junior students (3rd and 4th year students) to senior students (5th and 6th year students) and interns (P=0.008). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that class year (B = 2.03, P=0.006) and GPA (B = 8.67, P=0.003) were significant factors associated with empathy. Conclusions. Empathy is important for effective patient communication and improved provider-patient relationship. Female gender, high GPA, and class years were associated with empathy. Empathy should be integrated into dental curricula for effective student learning and positive patient care outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b90697f113db49d9b6369f55883f9082 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-8728 1687-8736 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Dentistry |
| spelling | doaj-art-b90697f113db49d9b6369f55883f90822025-02-03T05:58:26ZengWileyInternational Journal of Dentistry1687-87281687-87362021-01-01202110.1155/2021/55844235584423Measuring Empathy among Dental Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study from Dammam, Saudi ArabiaMuhammad Nazir0Muhanad Alhareky1Abdulrahman Alqahtani2Leenah Alsulaimi3Reema Alotaibi4Najwa Yousef5Fatimah Abushal6Jehan Alhumaid7Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P. O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, UAEDepartment of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P. O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, UAECollege of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P. O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, UAECollege of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P. O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, UAECollege of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P. O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, UAECollege of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P. O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, UAECollege of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P. O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, UAEDepartment of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P. O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, UAEObjective. To evaluate empathy and its related factors among undergraduate dental students and interns enrolled in a public dental college in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study used the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Profession Students (JSE-HPS) version to determine empathy in 362 dental students and interns in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The JSE-HPS is a 20-item 7-point Likert scale questionnaire, and its score ranges from 20 to 140 with high values indicating increased empathy. Influences of age, gender, class year, previous year’s grade point average (GPA), educational attainment of parents, and monthly family income on empathy were evaluated. Results. Of 501 enrolled students and interns, 362 returned completed questionnaires, and the response rate of the study was 72%. The sample’s empathy score (JSPE-HPS scale) ranged from 70 to 129 with a mean of 96.75 (±13.76). Most participants believed that empathy is important for effective communication with patients (96.1%) and can improve the provider-patient relationship (95.6%). Females demonstrated a significantly higher mean empathy score (99.98 ± 14.01) than males (92.72 ± 12.35) (P<0.001). Similarly, the participants with high GPA (98.06 ± 13.69) had significantly greater mean empathy scores than those with low GPA (94.84 ± 13.68) (P=0.029). The mean empathy score increased significantly from junior students (3rd and 4th year students) to senior students (5th and 6th year students) and interns (P=0.008). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that class year (B = 2.03, P=0.006) and GPA (B = 8.67, P=0.003) were significant factors associated with empathy. Conclusions. Empathy is important for effective patient communication and improved provider-patient relationship. Female gender, high GPA, and class years were associated with empathy. Empathy should be integrated into dental curricula for effective student learning and positive patient care outcomes.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5584423 |
| spellingShingle | Muhammad Nazir Muhanad Alhareky Abdulrahman Alqahtani Leenah Alsulaimi Reema Alotaibi Najwa Yousef Fatimah Abushal Jehan Alhumaid Measuring Empathy among Dental Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study from Dammam, Saudi Arabia International Journal of Dentistry |
| title | Measuring Empathy among Dental Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study from Dammam, Saudi Arabia |
| title_full | Measuring Empathy among Dental Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study from Dammam, Saudi Arabia |
| title_fullStr | Measuring Empathy among Dental Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study from Dammam, Saudi Arabia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Measuring Empathy among Dental Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study from Dammam, Saudi Arabia |
| title_short | Measuring Empathy among Dental Students and Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study from Dammam, Saudi Arabia |
| title_sort | measuring empathy among dental students and interns a cross sectional study from dammam saudi arabia |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5584423 |
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