HEALTH LITERACY AMONG FIRST YEAR BDS DENTAL STUDENTS IN A PRIVATE DENTAL INSTITUTION, CHENNAI - A PILOT STUDY

Background: Health literacy term refers to individuals having the capacity to understand basic health information and make appropriate health decisions. This study explored the health literacy profile of dentalstudents and allowed them to improve the health literacy of their patients. Methodology:This was a cross sectional survey study. A self administered questionnaire which contained 10 questions was circulated through an online platform via google docs among first year dental students. The data was collected and statistical analysis was done by SPSS software. Only completely filled forms were taken in for analysis. Pearson chi square was used for association. P value of less than 0.05 which is considered statistically significant. Results:Total study participants were 98. 48.98% were male and 51.02% were female. Majority of the population has a high level of health literacy. The health literacy level was lower for boys than for girls. They reported a moderate ability to engage with health professionals and the healthcare system. Conclusion: Institutions should target intervention students' ability to improve students' access to health information and engage actively with health care providers. By this it will improve health literacy levels among students. In the future it will be easy for them to understand and treat patients.