Gender differences in concerns, stress levels and behavior changes in dental academics in Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has placed a significant psychological burden on the healthcare personnel. Dental academics play a crucial role in the promotion of public oral health and the education of dental students.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess COVID-19-related concerns, stress and behavior changes in Iranian dental academics, determine the associated factors, and assess the potential gender differences.

Material And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we shared a researcher-developed questionnaire with Iranian dental academics through social media and e-mail. The questionnaire contained 4 sections: Background (8 items and additional 6 knowledge questions); Concerns (18 items); Stress (based on the 15-item Impact of Event Scale (IES)); and Behavior Change (5 items). We divided the concerns by means of the principal component analysis (PCA) into 3 various components of the fear of infection, concerns over professional responsibilities and concerns over restrictions. The backward stepwise multilevel linear and logistic regression analyses served to discover the association of other factors with stress and behavior changes.

Results: Out of 274 respondents, 66% were female, and 78% were 45 years old or younger. Approximately half of the respondents demonstrated moderate to severe stress and the median (Me) for behavior change was 46.5 out of 50. The greatest concern expressed by the participants referred to the fear of becoming infected by their patients and spreading the virus to their loved ones. Being female, living with parents and not having any administrative role, along with greater fear of infection, concerns over restrictions and academic experience were associated with higher levels of COVID-19-related stress. Being female and having an administrative role, along with greater fear of infection and knowledge, and more daily patient visits were associated with desirable COVID-19-related behavior changes.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected dental academics' psychological state, leading to various levels of concern, stress and behavior change. Supportive and educational programs must target those with high fear and stress levels to prevent undesirable behaviors.