부산대학교 도서관

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the formation of dental hygienist images based on the pathways of obtaining occupational information and to establish a foundation for the correct perception and positive promotion of the dental hygienist profession. Methods: A survey was distributed to 305 college preparatory students in the metropolitan area. The questionnaire consisted of 34 items, including general characteristics(3 items), pathway-related questions(3 items), dental hygienist image-related question(2 1items), application-related questions(2 items), and admission-related questions(5 items). The images of dental hygienists based on general characteristics, perception pathways, and admission were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The survey results from all participants showed that the overall image of dental hygienists was 3.75 points. Personal image scored the highest at 4.18 points, while social image was the lowest at 3.20 points(p<0.05). The overall image of dental hygienists was higher for the ‘online’ group (3.88) compared to the ‘offline’ group, and statistically significant differences were observed among groups in overall, personal, and professional images(p<0.05). The overall image of dental hygienists was higher for those who learned offline (3.87), and the only significant difference between groups was seen in the personal image. When it came to admission, the ‘admitted’ students gave a higher overall score (4.00) compared to ‘non-admitted’ students (3.64), with significance found in all areas except for social image (p<0.05). Conclusion: It is believed that effective utilization of online pathways can inform more people about the importance and expertise of dental hygienists, thereby contributing to promoting oral health and enhancing the perception of the profession. Properly valuing and educating about the role of dental hygienists through promotion and education can help improve the image of the profession.