Multimedia versus audio-based education for improving dentists' nutrition-related knowledge and behavior: A randomized comparative study.
Mehdi Farhadi, Afsaneh Pakdaman, Mahdia Gholami
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This randomized comparative trial assessed whether multimedia or audio-based education improved nutrition-related knowledge and self-reported behavior among 166 general dentists in Tehran. Over a one-month intervention, both groups showed significant improvements in knowledge and behavior scores (p < 0.001), with greater gains in the multimedia group. Baseline scores were not significantly associated with age, gender, dental school, professional experience, or practice setting. The study evaluated dentists’ understanding and reported counseling-related behaviors concerning nutrition and periodontal health, caries, oral cancer, and dental erosion.
Key findings
- Knowledge and self-reported behavior improved significantly after education in both groups (p < 0.001).
- The multimedia group had greater gains in knowledge and behavior than the audio-based group.
- Baseline knowledge and behavior were not significantly associated with the demographic and practice variables assessed.
Why it matters
Dentists can contribute to oral-health prevention through dietary guidance, but this depends on relevant knowledge and counseling behaviors. The findings suggest that brief educational approaches delivered in multimedia or audio formats may help address these needs, while the greater gains with multimedia indicate that delivery format may influence learning outcomes.
What to keep in mind
Behavior was self-reported, and the study assessed outcomes over a one-month intervention; the abstract does not report longer-term effects.