Dental students' attitudes toward diabetes counseling, monitoring, and screening

The main objective of this study was to examine attitudes of dental students toward chairside counseling and monitoring of and screening for diabetes. A secondary objective was to examine the psychometric properties of the survey instrument. First- and fourth-year students at one dental school completed a survey examining attitudes toward and perceived barriers to performing glucose monitoring, screening, and counseling in a dental setting. Surveys were completed by seventy-one of ninety first-year dental students (79 percent) and eighty-six fourth-year students (100 percent) for a total of 157 responses. Factor analysis of the survey instrument resulted in a three-factor solution: scope and responsibility, barriers, and glucometer use. In analyses to determine whether there were differences in attitudes by gender, level of education, or family history of diabetes, no statistically significant effects were seen. The dental students were in general agreement that glucose monitoring of patients diagnosed with diabetes is within the scope and responsibility of the dental profession; however, only a minority endorsed screening of patients who have not been diagnosed with diabetes. Psychometric analysis revealed internal reliability of the survey instrument.