Table 1
Demographics of participating students.
| Variable | N (%) 15 (100) |
|---|---|
| Gender | |
| Female | 9 (60) |
| Male | 6 (40) |
| Education Level | |
| Undergraduate | 6 (40) |
| Dental Student | 6 (40) |
| MPH student | 1 (7) |
| Dental Resident | 2 (13) |
Table 2
Knowledge perception, and attitudes regarding global health.
| Survey | Pre-score mean (SD) | Post-score mean (SD) | Mean difference | p-value** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge and perceptions | ||||
| I feel knowledgeable regarding the general topic and goals of global health | 3.21 (0.70) | 4.15 (0.69) | 1.08 | 0.01 |
| I feel knowledgeable about other countries’ healthcare systems | 2.64 (1.08) | 3.46 (0.97) | 0.92 | 0.04 |
| I feel knowledgeable about neglected tropical diseases | 2.43 (0.65) | 3.08 (1.04) | 0.58 | 0.11 |
| I feel knowledgeable regarding current issues in global infectious disease | 2.79 (0.89) | 3.69 (0.85) | 0.83 | 0.02 |
| I feel knowledgeable regarding cultural influences on health | 3.50 (0.76) | 4.23 (0.60) | 0.75 | 0.01 |
| I feel knowledgeable regarding drug discovery on the global scale | 2.21 (0.80) | 3.00 (0.71) | 0.67 | 0.02 |
| I feel knowledgeable regarding how organizations provide volunteer clinical care abroad | 2.86 (1.03) | 4.08 (0.86) | 1.08 | 0.01 |
| I feel knowledgeable about roles/opportunities for dentists in global health | 2.71 (0.91) | 4.08 (0.76) | 1.33 | <0.01 |
| Attitudes | ||||
| I believe that global health should be considered an important issue to all dentists | 4.57 (0.85) | 4.77 (0.44) | 0.25 | 0.28 |
| I believe that ‘thinking globally’ improves the quality of care I can deliver | 4.57 (0.65) | 4.85 (0.38) | 0.33 | 0.10 |
| I believe that an experience abroad improves a dentist’s perspective of patient care | 4.50 (0.65) | 4.77 (0.60) | 0.42 | 0.10 |
| I believe that I can be involved in global health initiatives without traveling abroad | 4.43 (0.85) | 4.77 (0.44) | 0.42 | 0.05 |
| I believe that health issues primarily affecting people outside of the USA are still relevant | 4.71 (0.61) | 5.00 (0.00) | 0.33 | 0.10 |
| I believe that learning about a patient’s culture, religion and beliefs is important to delivering care | 4.79 (0.43) | 5.00 (0.00) | 0.25 | 0.08 |
| I believe that there is much for the USA to learn about health from around the globe | 4.86 (0.36) | 5.00 (0.00) | 0.17 | 0.17 |
[i] * Scale: 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neutral, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree.
** Calculated using paired t-tests.
Table 3
Formal exam from global oral health curriculum.
| Global category | Pre-score mean (SD) | Post-score mean (SD) | Mean difference | P-valuea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Trends* | 2.57 (1.5) | 3.58 (1.31) | 0.91 | 0.10 |
| Global Goals** | 2.14 (0.77) | 2.75 (0.45) | 0.36 | 0.17 |
| Primary Care** | 2.07 (1.00) | 2.50 (0.67) | 0.09 | 0.72 |
| Social Determinants and Risks*** | 2.67 (1.67) | 4.75 (1.54) | 2.30 | <0.01 |
| Ethics and Sustainability** | 0.78 (0.67) | 1.00 (1.013) | 0.14 | 0.74 |
| Total**** | 11.56 (2.46) | 14.58 (3.18) | 3.57 | 0.06 |
[i] * Scores out of 5.
** Scores out of 3.
*** Scores out of 6.
**** Scores out of 20.
a Calculated using Paired t-tests.
Figure 1
Percentage and 95% confidence intervals of accurate responses from all students for each category of the post-course formal exam.