Is Biostatistics Relevant to Dentists? Understanding Pakistani Dental Professionals Knowledge, Attitude and Perceptions towards Biostatistics for Research and Professional Excellence

Sanaa Masood Aslam; Dil Ruba; Aymen Malik; Farah Farhan; Sadaf Rafi; Fizza Sahar Anwar; Batool Zara

Is Biostatistics Relevant to Dentists? Understanding Pakistani Dental Professionals Knowledge, Attitude and Perceptions towards Biostatistics for Research and Professional Excellence

Authors

Sanaa Masood Aslam MDPH(UK), BDS(Ok), PhD (ABD), Assistant Professor, Community Dentistry, Foundation University College of Dentistry Islamabad
Dil Ruba BDS, RDS, FUCD, Islamabad.
Aymen Malik BDS, RDS, FUCD, Islamabad.
Farah Farhan BDS, MPhil Oral Pathology, MHPE, Ex-Assistant Professor, FUCD Islamabad
Sadaf Rafi BDS, MCPS, MPhil Oral Medicine, Senior Registrar Oral Medicine, FUCD, Islamabad.
Fizza Sahar Anwar BDS, MHPE, Assistant Professor, FUCD, Islamabad.
Batool Zara BDS, MCPS, MPH, C-Ortho, AcMed, Professor/HOD Periodontology, FUCD

Keywords:

Attitude, bio-statistics, Dentists, Knowledge, Perception

Abstract

Introduction: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of dental faculty in a teaching dental hospital regarding bio-statistics as it relates to evidence-based dentistry.

Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 231 licensed and registered dental practitioners from two teaching dental hospitals. A stratified sampling was applied by dividing the sample into three homogeneous groups. A closed-ended questionnaire containing questions pertaining to knowledge, attitude, and general perception was used, with responses recorded on a Likert scale. IBM SPSS Version 23 was used to perform descriptive and univariate data analyses (T- test). A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant when comparing knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions.

Results: A response rate of 84.3% was achieved. 66.6% of the respondents found bio-statistics a difficult subject. 73.0% agreed that their training in bio-statistics is not adequate, while 62.7% respondents were unable to design and analyse their own research projects confidently. Although 70.1% claimed that knowledge of bio-statistics is an important part of evidence-based dentistry practice only 25.9% felt that learning bio-statistics would benefit their career.

Conclusion: Hospital-based dentists were found to have inadequate knowledge and training in the bio-statistics. Training programs must be re-evaluated and tailored for inclusion and integration of bio-statistics instruction as applied to dentistry to enable prospective dental professionals understand and solve dental problems/ challenges quantitatively.