Levels and Predictors of Digital Literacy Skills Among Dental Students: A Multi-institutional Study in Malaysia

• Published in: Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Main Author: Luai A.F.; Sabri B.A.M.; Radzi N.A.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Putra Malaysia Press 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85210910974&doi=10.47836%2fmjmhs.20.6.25&partnerID=40&md5=db5abfc49d8fc5a3415727cdd90a5ac3

Introduction: The greatest challenge in dental education is the need to adapt consistently and adjust to the advancement of digital dentistry and its application in dental practice. Thus, the scarcity of digital literacy (DL) levels among Malaysian dental students must be addressed to identify areas in dental education that need improvement. Materials and methods: Online self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 668 Malaysian dental students that have been proportionately sampled. A total of 501 (75% response rate) dental students from 11 dental schools completed the validated questionnaire. The mean score of the DL level was analysed with the p-value set at 0.05. Results: The majority of Malaysian dental students reported high skill levels in 'uploading documents online' (95.21%), 'sending and receiving e-mails' (94.61%), and 'using different social media platforms' (92.41%). Overall, the mean score of the dental students' DL level was considered to be in the 'moderate' range with a mean score of 31.13 (SD ± 4.95). After adjusting the relevant confounders, multiple linear regression predicted that dental students from public dental schools positively influence the DL level (p= 0.026). Conclusion: Malaysian dental students possess a moderate level of DL skills. Current dental education and training need to prioritize efforts to increase DL levels among undergraduates. This data presents an opportunity for policymakers and educators to modify the current educational method to advance students' current learning methods. © 2024 Universiti Putra Malaysia Press. All rights reserved.