The comparison of anxiety level and quality of life of Tabriz dental students at clinical and pre-clinical stages during the Corona pandemic years (academic years of 2022-2023)

Abstract

Introduction The corona epidemic has caused many psychological problems for students and has reduced the quality of life. The purpose of this study was to compare the level of anxiety and the quality of life of dental students in Tabriz in the clinic and pre-clinic stages during the years of the Corona epidemic. Materials and methods This cross-sectional-comparative study was conducted on all dental students in the pre-clinic and clinic courses of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in the academic year 1402-1401. The tool for gathering information is a questionnaire consisting of 4 sections, the first section (demographic information), the second section (educational information), the third section (Beck's anxiety questionnaire) and the fourth section (quality of life related to the outbreak of the Corona virus based on the quality questionnaire. World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF). These questionnaires were completed by students. The Beck anxiety questionnaire included 21 questions with a 4-point Likert scale and a range of 0-63. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL) -BREF) had 26 questions in 4 subscales (including physical health, mental health, social relationships, and environmental health) and a total score. Data obtained by chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and independent t-test with soft SPSS software version 24 was analyzed. Results The average anxiety score (Beck) and the frequency of anxiety levels (moderate and severe) in clinic students were significantly higher than pre-clinic students. Quality of life and all its subscales in clinic students were significantly lower than pre-clinic students. In clinic students, men's anxiety was more than women's, and women's quality of life was more than men's. No difference was observed between anxiety and quality of life of women and men in pre-clinic students. Conclusion Clinic students experience higher levels of anxiety and lower quality of life.