Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in North America. Healthy People 2010 and the Surgeon General have requested the inclusion of dental professionals in tobacco cessation counseling. Dental professionals report being unprepared and lacking educational tools to implement cessation counseling. The purpose of this study was to identify changes in the student dental hygienists’ delivery of tobacco cessation counseling following the inclusion of a comprehensive curriculum module. Participants included first and second year dental hygienist students (N=48) from Youngstown State University. The National Cancer Institutes 5A’s (ask, advise, assess, assist and arrange) were the foundation for the program. Educational materials (tool box) were given to participants to assist in implementing the program. The hypotheses tested were: 1.There will be an effect of the tobacco cessation curriculum on participants versus participants not given tobacco cessation curriculum. 2. There will be an effect of the tobacco cessation curriculum on participants with a “never smoked” smoking status versus students who smoke or smoked previously. 3. There will be an effect of the tobacco cessation curriculum on participants twenty-five years and older versus participants twenty-four years and younger. 4. There will be an effect of the tobacco cessation curriculum on participants reported preparation level versus participants not given tobacco cessation curriculum. 5. There will be an effect of the tobacco cessation curriculum on participants Level II versus participants Level I. Method: A fourteen item questionnaire was developed to ascertain clinical practice habits and socio-demographic data. Informed consent was obtained from the Human Subjects Committee at Youngstown State University before administering the questionnaire. The pre-test was administered prior to the comprehensive tobacco presentation. The same questionnaire (post-test) was administered sixteen weeks following.
A total of forty-eight pre and post-test questionnaires were distributed and returned for a response rate of 100 percent. Data analyzed by a t test using SPSS version 12 for Hypotheses II, III, IV, V and a mean was utilized to analyze Hypothesis I. The analyses revealed no statistical significance between age groups or smoking status of student hygienists. Hypothesis I had a higher mean in the post-test results for asking clients tobacco status, level of preparation to delivery counseling and increased time engaged in counseling clients. The results supported hypothesis V, year two students implemented the 5 A’s more frequently except for implementing the first A (ask).
The information from the study may be of value in developing dental hygienist curriculum and tobacco cessation counseling programs. The information may provide direction for the dental hygienist associations to find ways of incorporating tobacco cessation programs and professional standards in providing continuing cessation education for hygienist who are unprepared.