Assessing the quality of life of dental students by using the WHOQOL-BREF scale

Abstract

SummaryBackground/Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of dental students in a private dental school with the use of the WHOQOLBREF scale.Material and Methods: The Turkish version of the WHOQOLBREF questionnaire was used to assess the QOL of dental students in their first (n=73), second (n=58), third (n=55), fourth (n=47) and fifth (n=48) years with a mean age of 22,15 ± 1,89 between January and February 2019. The items were organized in four domains (physical and psychological health, social relations and the environment) with most response options on a five-point Likert-type scale. Descriptive statistics were computed and the P-value of <0,05 was set as statistically significant.Results: The sample was composed of 281 students, corresponding to an overall response rate of 90,6%. The overall QOL was rated good by the responding students. The difference between male and female respondents’ answers was not statistically significant. Mean scores were lowest for the psychological domain and were highest for the physical health domain. The psychological domain of the first-year participants was significantly better than that of fourth-year participants. Furthermore, the overall quality of life was highest for first-year students’ compared to all years.Conclusions: Although the overall QOL for students in the present study was generally acceptable, the psychological domain was the lowest in dental students. A positive relationship was observed between students’ satisfaction with health and their QOL. Dental schools should focus on reorganizing the curriculum and provide support for dental students, especially for those in their fourth-year.