Attitudes of Dental Students Towards HIV+ Patients: a Multi-center Survey Among Italian Universities

NCT07485374 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: ID - 7757
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 480
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this multicentric study was to assess the attitude of Italian dental students towards HIV-infected patients. In particular, the level of discomfort perceived during the treatment, any discriminatory attitude on their part, their level of knowledge of the disease and the application of the sterilization protocols to avoid professional exposure and cross-infections.

Conditions

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)

Keywords

HIV; Dentistry students

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Number of Italian dental students with a discriminatory behavior towards HIV positive patients

  Students answering positively to the question "Do you think you have ever adopted a discriminatory behavior towards seropositive patients?", whenever asked to treat an HIV positive patient will be cathegorized as having a discriminatory behavior (Dichotomous variable)

  Baseline

Study Arms (1)

Dental students

Dental students belonging to almost all Italian Dental Schools from the North, Centre and South of Italy

Other: Questionnaire

Interventions

Questionnaire OTHER

An anonymous questionnaire, accompanied by an informative letter, will be developed to this purpose, describing the aim of the study. The questionnaire was structured into four sections. The first section investigates personal demographic data. The second section evaluates the relationship between students and HIV-positive patients. The third section evaluates the student's knowledge of the HIV infection and the source of his knowledge. The fourth section investigates the application of the preventive operative protocols to avoid cross-infections

Dental students

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Dental students belonging to almost all Italian Dental Schools from the North, Centre and South of Italy.

You may qualify if:

• Completion of the survey
• Dentistry students in Italy
• Subjects aged ≥ 18 years

You may not qualify if:

• No completion of the survey
• Students of degree courses different from dentistry
• Subjects aged ≤ 18 years

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS: lead

Study Sites (1)

Policlinico Universitario Fondazione Agostino Gemelli - Roma

Roma, RM, 00136, Italy

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Interventions

Surveys and Questionnaires

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

HIV Infections; Blood-Borne Infections; Communicable Diseases; Infections; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Lentivirus Infections; Retroviridae Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Slow Virus Diseases; Genital Diseases; Urogenital Diseases; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes; Immune System Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Data Collection; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Public Health; Environment and Public Health

Central Study Contacts

Carlo Lajolo, DDS, MD, PhD

CONTACT

+393929381949; cosimorupe@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 22, 2026
• First Posted: March 20, 2026
• Study Start: February 22, 2026
• Primary Completion: March 22, 2026
• Study Completion: May 22, 2026
• Last Updated: March 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Locations

IT (1)