Affiliations: [a] Department of Applied Dental Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| [b] Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| [c] Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
| [d] Faculty of Applied Medical Science, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Zeid A. Al-Hourani, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Dental Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. E-mail: zahorani@just.edu.jo.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:
Dental team members are susceptible to high mental and physical stress levels, which could have increased during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). OBJECTIVE:
This study aimed to evaluate Jordanian dental workers’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and determine its predictors during the COVID-19 Pandemic. METHODS:
This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted on dental team members, namely; Dentists, dental Assistants, and Dental Technicians. The survey questionnaire was composed of questions related to stress during COVID-19, a short-form survey of 12 items (SF-12), a Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale (DASS-21), and a Nordic musculoskeletal disorder questionnaire (NMQ). Descriptive analyses were used to describe the main outcome measures, and multiple variable regression analysis was conducted to identify the quality of life predictors. RESULTS:
Participants’ HRQoL measured by SF-12 showed a mean±SD score of 67.1±17.19 for the physical component and 54.51±20.27 for the mental component. The Nordic scale showed symptoms of lower back pain as 63.9% over 12 months, 32% over 12 months’ functional limitation symptoms, and 45% in 7 days The regression model was found strong for our study with 53.8% variations (r2 = 0.538, F = 43.739, P < 0.001) in health-related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS:
Our study concluded that the level of HRQoL among Jordanian dental specialists during COVID-19 was observed to impact levels of physical and mental well-being which negatively influence the quality of life. Predictive factors like depression, stress, anxiety, musculoskeletal health, and individual everyday quality of life significantly affect the HRQoL of dental specialists.
Keywords: Epidemiology, Cross-sectional studies, humans, workers, quality of life, Health
