title: Effectiveness of a web-based child protection training programme designed for dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia: a pre- and post-test study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Safeguarding children is an integral part of dental training and practice. The purpose of this research was to evaluate a web-based training program in child protection on dental practitioners' knowledge and practice in Saudi Arabia. In addition, participants' views of the course were also assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pre-, immediately post-training, and one month post-training knowledge and self reported behaviour were assessed following completion of an online training course in child protection by 82 dental practitioners working in Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-two participants completed the whole training package and 62 completed the one month post-training survey. A significant increase in knowledge was found immediately after taking part in the child protection training program in comparison to baseline knowledge (P < 0.001). The course was highly rated by those who completed it. At one month following the training program, 21% have or intend to adopt a child protection policy in their practice, 29% identified a staff member to lead on child protection since completing the program, almost all participants have been aware of child abuse and neglect (CAN) signs in their daily practice and 27.4% have made a report of a suspected case of CAN in the last month since the training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The web-based training program in child protection was appraised positively and was effective in increasing knowledge and changing attitudes towards safeguarding children.
authors: Paediatric Dentistry Division, Department of Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, King Saud University College of Dentistry, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.|Unit of Social & Behavioural Sciences, King's College London Dental Institute, London, UK.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Al-Dabaan
authors: Unit of Social & Behavioural Sciences, King's College London Dental Institute, London, UK.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Asimakopoulou
authors: Unit of Social & Behavioural Sciences, King's College London Dental Institute, London, UK.
authors: J T
authors: JT
authors: Newton
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology*; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000193:education*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012529:Saudi Arabia
keywords: child abuse; child protection; neglect; training