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Aims <p>This study aimed to assess oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KABs) among dental students at Arab American University (AAUP), Palestine, and to examine variations in these factors on the basis of gender and clinical level.</p> Materials and methods <p>A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among students from all academic years at the Faculty of Dentistry, AAUP, using the Hiroshima University–Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI). The HU-DBI includes 12 scored items (maximum score = 12), with higher scores indicating greater preventive awareness and self-care practices. Chi-square and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to assess associations between demographic variables and HU-DBI scores, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the independent effects of gender and clinical level (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05).</p> Results <p>Among the 366 respondents, 57.7% were female, and 54.4% were clinical students. The mean HU-DBI score was 7.23 ± 1.77. Compared with male students, female students achieved significantly higher total scores (7.54 vs. 6.83; <i>p</i> = 0.0001) and behavior scores (2.29 vs. 1.81; <i>p</i> = 0.0001), with no significant bivariate differences in knowledge (<i>p</i> = 0.1000) or attitude (<i>p</i> = 0.5871) scores. Compared with preclinical students, clinical students scored significantly higher in total (7.70 vs. 6.68; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001), knowledge (3.60 vs. 3.25; <i>p</i> = 0.0168), and behavior (2.46 vs. 1.65; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001) domains, with no significant bivariate difference in attitudes (<i>p</i> = 0.1533). However, regression analyses demonstrated that clinical level was independently associated with more positive attitudes.</p> Conclusion <p>Dental students at the AAUP generally demonstrated positive oral health awareness. Female gender and clinical training were associated with significantly better preventive behaviors and higher overall HU-DBI scores, while regression analysis revealed that clinical exposure also contributed to more positive attitudes. These findings underscore the value of reinforcing preventive dentistry concepts and practical oral hygiene training early in the preclinical years to support consistent self-care and a smooth transition to clinical practice.</p>

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Oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among dental students in a Palestinian dental school: a cross-sectional study using the HU-DBI

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月26日

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  • Naji Arandi

摘要

Aims

This study aimed to assess oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KABs) among dental students at Arab American University (AAUP), Palestine, and to examine variations in these factors on the basis of gender and clinical level.

Materials and methods

A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among students from all academic years at the Faculty of Dentistry, AAUP, using the Hiroshima University–Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI). The HU-DBI includes 12 scored items (maximum score = 12), with higher scores indicating greater preventive awareness and self-care practices. Chi-square and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to assess associations between demographic variables and HU-DBI scores, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the independent effects of gender and clinical level (p < 0.05).

Results

Among the 366 respondents, 57.7% were female, and 54.4% were clinical students. The mean HU-DBI score was 7.23 ± 1.77. Compared with male students, female students achieved significantly higher total scores (7.54 vs. 6.83; p = 0.0001) and behavior scores (2.29 vs. 1.81; p = 0.0001), with no significant bivariate differences in knowledge (p = 0.1000) or attitude (p = 0.5871) scores. Compared with preclinical students, clinical students scored significantly higher in total (7.70 vs. 6.68; p < 0.0001), knowledge (3.60 vs. 3.25; p = 0.0168), and behavior (2.46 vs. 1.65; p < 0.0001) domains, with no significant bivariate difference in attitudes (p = 0.1533). However, regression analyses demonstrated that clinical level was independently associated with more positive attitudes.

Conclusion

Dental students at the AAUP generally demonstrated positive oral health awareness. Female gender and clinical training were associated with significantly better preventive behaviors and higher overall HU-DBI scores, while regression analysis revealed that clinical exposure also contributed to more positive attitudes. These findings underscore the value of reinforcing preventive dentistry concepts and practical oral hygiene training early in the preclinical years to support consistent self-care and a smooth transition to clinical practice.