title: Preliminary development and evaluation of online tobacco and alcohol modules for dental students.
abstract: Tobacco use and heavy alcohol consumption are major risk factors for the development of oral and pharyngeal cancer (OPC). Detection and modification of these risks by dentists are keys in preventing OPC. While dentists are encouraged to screen patients for tobacco and alcohol use and educate them about the oral health risks they pose, dental students receive little formalized training in this area. This pilot project was designed to develop and evaluate two online training modules for dental students: one on tobacco and oral health risk factors, and one on methods of alcohol screening. Results indicated that online tobacco/alcohol education for dental students is feasible. The modules resulted in meaningful improvement in dental students' knowledge of tobacco and alcohol use as well as alcohol screening methods. The alcohol module resulted in statistically significant increases in intention to screen patients for alcohol use and in comfort level in performing alcohol screening.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. millerpm@musc.edu
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Paul W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Heideman
authors.forename: Michele C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ravenel
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Spangler
authors.forename: Mary P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mauldin
authors.forename: Elizabeth G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Georgiana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Onicescu
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003479:Curriculum; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D020375:Education, Distance; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013022:South Carolina; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020340:Tobacco Use Cessation; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D014584:User-Computer Interface