Scientific Output and Perception of Research among Students from Seven Dental Schools in Peru

Pares-Ballasco J.G.; Sihuay-Torres M.X.; Lara-Verastegui R.; Mattos-Vela M.A. · Iatreia (2024) · DOI: 10.17533/udea.iatreia.214

Resumen

Introduction: There is limited evidence concerning the advancement of academic scientific research in the field of dentistry in Peru. Objective: To ascertain the scientific output and perceptions about research among dental students and its association with gender, university affiliation, and academic year. Methods: This multi-center, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted on a non-probabilistic sample of undergraduate students from seven dental faculties in Peru. Participants were provided with a structured questionnaire to record general information and their views on scientific research and production. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were employed to correlate the study variables. Results: A total of 468 students participated, with an average age of 21.7 years. Of these, 66.9% were female. The majority rated their knowledge in the three assessed research areas as average. A higher number of mono-graphs were produced by students from the Sierra region (p <0.001). Great-er production of clinical reports and theses (p <0.001) was observed among fifth and sixth-year students. Only 11 (2.4%) students published scientific papers, predominantly from coastal universities (p = 0.027) and belonging to the fifth and sixth academic years (p = 0.003). Conclusions: The scientific output of dental students was found to be low. An association was identified between certain research perception variables and the students’ university affiliation. Additionally, a correlation was observed between scientific publication and academic work with university affiliation and year of study.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos