Dentists experience influences knowledge and attitudes toward HIV patients in West Jakarta, Indonesia, and validation of a new questionnaire.

UNLABELLED: Dentists' knowledge and attitudes are two main components that may have a role in reducing and preventing the severity of HIV infection. No recent data on this are available in Jakarta.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the dental profession's experience based on knowledge and attitude toward HIV patients in West Jakarta.

SUBJECTS AND METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 218 private dentists. The knowledge and attitude were assessed by validated questionnaire under informed consent. Data were analyzed by the Rasch model to assess reliability and multiple logistic regression.

RESULT: Rasch test found person reliability was poor (0.60; 1.23) and item reliability was excellent (0.97; 5.32). Good knowledge was shown in 58.3% of respondents, and a good attitude was practiced in 56.9%. Only the duration of dental practice (p < .005) <1 year served as an independent risk factor for good knowledge and attitude (p < .05; p < .05), respectively. Age, gender, having a social history of interacting with HIV patients, or a history of having treated HIV patients were not associated (p > .05). The results suggest that newly graduated dentists (<1 year) have retained the knowledge which could impact on their attitude toward HIV patients in dental practice.

CONCLUSION

Newly qualified dentists had the best knowledge and attitude toward treating HIV patients in West Jakarta.