Attitudes of South African Dental Therapy Students Toward Compulsory Community Service
View/ Open
Author(s)
Bhayat, Ahmed
Yengopal, Veerasmay
Rudolph, Michael J
Govender, Urvashnee
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2008
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Compulsory community service (CCS) was introduced into the health service by the South African government to address the shortage and maldistribution of health professionals within the public sector. The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of dental therapy students regarding CCS. A self-administered questionnaire was delivered to the two dental schools that train dental therapists in South Africa. There was a 64 percent response rate; 56 percent of the respondents were female. The average age was 20.3 years. There was no difference in the variables between the two dental schools, so the results were combined. ...
View more >Compulsory community service (CCS) was introduced into the health service by the South African government to address the shortage and maldistribution of health professionals within the public sector. The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of dental therapy students regarding CCS. A self-administered questionnaire was delivered to the two dental schools that train dental therapists in South Africa. There was a 64 percent response rate; 56 percent of the respondents were female. The average age was 20.3 years. There was no difference in the variables between the two dental schools, so the results were combined. The majority (81 percent) supported the introduction of CCS and preferred to carry it out in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Most students opted to perform oral health promotional (64 percent) and clinical (15 percent) activities. By aligning these requirements with the current dental needs and priority strategies of the South African Department of Health, this support would add much value to the delivery of oral health services.
View less >
View more >Compulsory community service (CCS) was introduced into the health service by the South African government to address the shortage and maldistribution of health professionals within the public sector. The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of dental therapy students regarding CCS. A self-administered questionnaire was delivered to the two dental schools that train dental therapists in South Africa. There was a 64 percent response rate; 56 percent of the respondents were female. The average age was 20.3 years. There was no difference in the variables between the two dental schools, so the results were combined. The majority (81 percent) supported the introduction of CCS and preferred to carry it out in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Most students opted to perform oral health promotional (64 percent) and clinical (15 percent) activities. By aligning these requirements with the current dental needs and priority strategies of the South African Department of Health, this support would add much value to the delivery of oral health services.
View less >
Journal Title
Journal of Dental Education
Volume
72
Issue
10
Publisher URI
Copyright Statement
© 2008 Journal of Dental Education (JDE). The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version.
Subject
Dentistry
Dentistry not elsewhere classified
Curriculum and pedagogy