Estresse Ocupacional entre Profissionais de Odontologia da Atenção Primária à Saúde durante a Pandemia da Covid-19

Abstract

Introduction: In December 2019, the transmission of a new Coronavirus (SARS-Cov2) that causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was identified. Respiratory tract disease has as its main means of contamination the contact with virus particles through secretions from the respiratory tract that may be present in the aerosol clouds, and because of the proximity of contact between professional-patient, oral healthcare professionals (dental surgeons, dental assistants, and dental hygienist), are at greater risk of infection by COVID-19. During the pandemic, there was an abrupt change in the work environment of numerous professionals, including that of oral health teams. Changes resulting from work can potentiate feelings of fear and anxiety and interfere with the mental health of health professionals during the pandemic. Objective: Analyze the factors associated with occupational stress related to dental practice performed by oral health professionals who work in Primary Health Care. Methodology: This research corresponds to a part of a multicenter study carried out in the South Region in Brazil and used data on professionals from the public dental services of Primary Health Care in the state of Paraná. The sample was obtained by sending an online questionnaire (Google Forms®) by e-mail from the Regional Councils of Dentistry and publicizing the research on social networks. The occupational stress outcome was measured through the question: “I feel anxious and worried to work properly in the dental practice during the COVID-19 pandemic”, with a Likert-type agreement scale response. The instrument was validated in a pilot study. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences – SPSS and Stata for Windows programs. Absolute frequencies and percentages were measured for categorical variables, as well as means (± standard deviations) and median (± interquartile ranges) for numerical variables. The associations between the outcome and the explanatory variables, by professional category (dental surgeons and hygienists/assistants), were obtained using nonparametric tests for independent samples: Pearson's chi-square and Mann-Whitney U test. In addition, Prevalence Ratios (with confidence intervals at 95%) were obtained, crude, and adjusted by professional category, using robust Poisson regression. Results: 79.4% of PHC oral health professionals felt anxious or worried during some moment of the first wave of the pandemic in the state of Paraná and there were no significant differences between the professional categories. Professionals who presented risk factors for COVID-19 showed to be more anxious/concerned, the same is repeated for professionals working in places that do not question patients about possible symptoms for COVID-19, at the time of appointment scheduling and when there is a lack of a minimum distance of 1 meter inside the waiting rooms. Professionals who answered that they “never” or “almost never” clean and disinfect the suction hoses at each service and undress as recommended, were more anxious and worried. Conclusion: Oral health professionals working in PHC reported being anxious and/or worried to provide dental care to the population.